Revolution Day in Yemen

The North Yemeni civil war was fought in North Yemen between the royalists of the Mutawakkilite kingdom and factions in favor of an Arab republic between 1962 and 1970. The war began with a coup d'état carried out by the republican leader, Abdullah as-Sallal, who dethroned the newly crowned Imam Mohamed al-Badr and proclaimed the Yemeni republic under his presidency. The imam escaped to the Saudi Arabian border, where he gained popular support.

The battle in the palace continued until the guards surrendered to the revolutionaries the next morning. The radio station was the first to fall, secured after the death of a loyal officer and the collapse of the resistance. The armory was perhaps the easiest target, as it took only a written order from Sallal to open the warehouse, defeat the royalists and secure rifles, artillery and ammunition for the revolutionaries. The telephone exchange also fell without resistance. At the Al-Wusul palace, the revolutionary units remained secure under the guise of guaranteeing and protecting the diplomats and dignitaries who were staying there to greet the new Imam of Yemen. By late morning on September 26, all areas of San'a were secured and the radio broadcast that Muhammad al-Badr had been overthrown by the new revolutionary government in power. Revolutionary cells in the cities of Taiz, Al-Hujja and the port city of Hodeida then began to secure arsenals, airports and port facilities.