Yemen: Houthi military campaign in Al Bayda’ could undermine peace efforts

Amid government and human rights condemnations of the brutal attack, Houthi militias continued their military campaign on Al Bayda’ province “Heart of Yemen” for the second day in a row, persisting in terrorism and undermining the peace efforts of international powers and organizations.

The Yemeni Ministry of Human Rights said in a statement on Wednesday that the military campaign of Houthi militias in Al Bayda’ province (central Yemen) is undermining the regional and international efforts to establish peace in Yemen.

“The Houthi terrorist militia kidnapped since Tuesday morning 52 citizens, including children, from villages and areas of Beit al-Khader in al-Saadiya district, al-Bayda province,” the ministry said.

“More than 70 military vehicles took part in the military campaign carried out by the terrorist militias, which surrounded villages and areas of Beit al-Khader, accompanied by looting, vandalism and spreading terror among unarmed residents,” she said.

“The Yemeni Ministry of Human Rights, while condemning in the strongest terms these criminal acts and irresponsible terrorist practices against citizens in the village of Beit al-Khader in Al-Suwaydiya district, condemns the campaign as a blow to regional and international efforts to establish peace in Yemen,” the statement said.

“The ministry called on the international community to do its duty in protecting citizens from the brutality of these terrorist militias and their flagrant crimes and violations of international humanitarian law by targeting civilians.”

“The Yemeni government has called on the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy to Yemen, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and all specialized international organizations to condemn the brutal crimes committed by the Houthi terrorist militias against the residents of Beit al-Khader and the rest of Yemen by documenting them and working to activate international pressure to stop these crimes, expose them, and hold them accountable.”

Activists launched a large-scale campaign in solidarity with the town of Beit al-Khader, which is being brutally attacked by Houthi terrorist militias, describing it as “war crimes against humanity”.

This terrorist crime is not the first, and it will not be the last, committed by the Houthi militias against the people of Al Bayda’ Governorate. They have previously committed the most heinous crimes and violations against their residents, the most recent of which was storming the town of Abs in Ash Sharyah District, raiding the homes of Al-Sharjabi Family, shooting resulting in the injury of four area residents, and kidnapping of 15 others.

The Houthi militias led a genocidal war against the town of Khubza in Al Bayda’ in late July, before Radaa tribes rallied and broke the weeks-long siege, which included crimes of recruitment and humiliation of tribes and their men by executions, blowing up houses, confiscating property, and taking hostages.