He is best known for his role in the 2011 Yemeni uprising, in which fighters under his command attacked and seized government facilities in the Battle of Sana'a.

[1] Al-Ahmar became a member of the Assembly of Representatives of Yemen in 1993, marking his formal entry into the Yemeni political system.

[1] Sadiq had publicly condemned al-Qaeda and had voiced some support for Saleh's war against the terror organisation, but remained critical and suspicious of the president's motives, declaring that Saleh's primary intent was not to combat terrorism but to extract aid money from the United States.

[2] In February 2011, he stepped down from his position in the Yemeni General People's Congress in solidarity with the growing popular protest movement in Yemen.

[3][2] Sadiq's relationship with the government continued to deteriorate as the uprising continued, culminating in the Battle of Sana'a, in which guards and tribesmen loyal to him attacked government soldiers and facilities in Sana'a beginning on 24 May,[1] the bloodiest fighting seen in Yemen since the beginning of the uprising.