Houthi Militants Abduct Citizen in Rada'a Over Security Criticism

Militia forces affiliated with the Houthi group abducted a young man from his workplace in the city of Rada'a, Al-Bayda Governorate, in the past few hours and transported him to an undisclosed location.

Local sources reported that an armed squad consisting of five masked operatives, allegedly belonging to the militia's so-called "Security and Intelligence Apparatus," raided the workplace of Nidal Tawfiq Al-Qaifi and forcibly detained him.

According to these sources, the abduction was precipitated by a post Al-Qaifi published on his Facebook page, in which he condemned the killing of an innocent child who became a casualty during clashes between two armed groups outside the gate of a Rada'a hospital the previous day.

This incident occurs amid escalating public tension in Rada'a, driven by the systematic violations perpetrated by the Houthi militia and the policy of impunity afforded to its leaders and operatives involved in serious crimes and abuses against civilians.

Observers contend that the detention of Al-Qaifi signals the militia's intent to intimidate residents and suppress any voice criticizing the state of security chaos gripping Rada'a specifically, and Al-Bayda Governorate generally, since the militia assumed control. They cautioned against the continuation of these arbitrary practices targeting activists and citizens.