Abdulmalik Slams ‘Criminal’ Houthis after Woman’s Murder

Armed Houthi fighters shout slogans during a demonstration in support of the militias in Sanaa March 6, 2015. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
Armed Houthi fighters shout slogans during a demonstration in support of the militias in Sanaa March 6, 2015. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
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Abdulmalik Slams ‘Criminal’ Houthis after Woman’s Murder

Armed Houthi fighters shout slogans during a demonstration in support of the militias in Sanaa March 6, 2015. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
Armed Houthi fighters shout slogans during a demonstration in support of the militias in Sanaa March 6, 2015. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik has condemned the killing of a woman in front of her two children by Houthi militants in Ibb province.

In a tweet, the PM described the murder as a “heinous crime” that clearly attests to the racism of Houthi militias that have killed innocent Yemenis and destroyed their homes and belongings.

Members of the Iran-backed militias raided the house of Ahlam al-Ashary late Thursday looking for her husband.

When they did not find him they kicked al-Ashary and beat her with sticks and the backs of their pistols until she died.

“We as Yemenis we cannot but to resist this criminal group and defeat it until we find peace and preserve our dignity,” said Abdulmalik.

Yemeni Information Minister Muammar al-Iryani has also slammed the attack as “an outrageous terror crime” that attests to “the barbarism of Houthi militias.”

Locals told Asharq Al-Awsat that a Houthi commander named Abu Bashar claimed to be looking for the 25-year-old woman's husband, who wasn't at home.

So he accused the woman of covering up for her husband and then assaulted her along with four other members of the group.

Her father rushed her to hospital but she passed away, the locals said.



Grundberg in Yemen to Urge Houthis to Accept Peace, Release Detainees

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg arrives at Sanaa Airport, in Sanaa, Yemen, 06 January 2025. (EPA)
UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg arrives at Sanaa Airport, in Sanaa, Yemen, 06 January 2025. (EPA)
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Grundberg in Yemen to Urge Houthis to Accept Peace, Release Detainees

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg arrives at Sanaa Airport, in Sanaa, Yemen, 06 January 2025. (EPA)
UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg arrives at Sanaa Airport, in Sanaa, Yemen, 06 January 2025. (EPA)

UN Special Envoy for Yemen for Yemen Hans Grundberg arrived in Houthi-held Sanaa on Monday as part of his efforts to urge the Iran-backed militias to accept peace and release employees from the UN and humanitarian agencies.

Grundberg's “visit is part of the ongoing efforts to de-escalate the current tensions that have engulfed the region and Yemen,” UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said Monday. “In addition, his efforts will focus on advancing the peace process.”

The Houthis have stepped up their missile attacks against Israel, and have been targeting shipping in the Red Sea corridor for over a year — attacks they say won't stop until there's a ceasefire in Gaza. Israel has repeatedly bombarded Yemen's ports, oil infrastructure and the airport in Sanaa, some 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) away.

“We’ll also be pushing for the release of the arbitrarily detained UN personnel and also from other NGOs and civil society,” the UN spokesman said.

The Houthis claim the detainees, most of them held since June, are part of an “American-Israeli spy network,” an allegation vehemently denied by the UN, NGO organizations, governments and others.

Grundberg arrived in Yemen after holding talks with Omani officials in Muscat. Present at the talks was Houthi spokesman and chief negotiator Mohammed Abdelsalam.

The envoy is hoping to make a breakthrough in the Yemeni crisis after his efforts stalled with the Houthis launching their attacks on Red Sea and Gulf of Aden shipping.

A statement from his office said he is hoping his meetings in Sanaa will lead to the Houthis to take tangible steps to push the peace process forward.

“His visit is part of his ongoing efforts to urge for concrete and essential actions by the Houthis for advancing the peace process. It is also part of his continuing efforts to support the release of the arbitrarily detained UN, NGO, civil society and diplomatic mission personnel,” said the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen (OSESGY) on the X platform.

He plans to conduct a series of national and regional meetings in the coming days under his mediation efforts.