Houthi militias in Yemen have expanded their extortion campaign to include local lands and assets in the Ibb governorate, located 193 km south of Sanaa.
Militiamen are also spearheading war efforts to take over real estate belonging to the Islamic Awqaf authority.
Local sources at the Ibb governorate revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat that Houthi militias, since the start of December, have launched a far-reaching campaign of looting and acquisition of public and private lands in a number of districts.
Privately-owned lands in the districts of Al-Dhahran and Al-Mukhaderar, according to local sources, were confiscated by the Houthi terrorist militia in an unprecedented sweep being conducted by the group.
Local sources, speaking under the conditions of anonymity, told Asharq Al-Awsat that a Houthi leader called Hamoud Al Abyad alongside a group of fighters had acquired large swathes of land in the northern Ibb village of Hamami after putting original owners at gunpoint.
Homes in Hamami were subject to Houthi fire for objecting to Houthi looting the kidnapping of some citizens.
Local activists held the Iran-backed militia responsible for the organized crime ravaging the governorate.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, activists pointed to the high rate of crime taking place in Ibb.
“Not an hour goes by without crime being registered whether it is murder, kidnapping, looting or robbery,” they said.
Activists called on all people in the governorate to monitor and document Houthi crimes against the community.
