Houthi Militiamen Raid Ibb Mall, Assault Merchants, Force Closures

Armed elements affiliated with the Houthi militia stormed the "One Mall" commercial center in Ibb city on Thursday evening, assaulting shop owners and employees before taking them to an undisclosed location. This incident highlights the extent of Houthi overreach against the private sector.

According to a statement released by the management of "One Mall," located in the Al-Sabool district west of the city, a force from the militia's "Central Security" raided the center at 8:30 PM. They engaged in excessive violence, including the beating and dragging of several merchants and employees, followed by a widespread arbitrary arrest campaign.

Surveillance cameras, footage of which was attached to the statement, documented Houthi elements forcibly shutting down electrical generators and expelling shoppers at gunpoint, causing panic among women and children.

The mall management indicated that these violations occurred without any legal justification or judicial orders, describing the militia's purported justifications as "flimsy and blatant deception of the law." The statement also condemned these "barbaric" actions that fundamentally damage the investment environment and confiscate public rights and interests.

The management demanded the swift release of all detained merchants and employees, accountability for those involved in the assault, and the cessation of interference with the mall and its tenants. They hold the militia fully responsible for the consequences of this blatant intervention in commercial disputes.

Notably, "One Mall," owned by a group of investors, has been subjected to a series of repeated closures by Houthi leaders seeking to impose their agendas by siding with one party in an internal dispute among partners, using it as a pretext to extort investors. This incident occurs amidst an increasing pace of Houthi pressure on the commercial sector in Ibb Governorate, through imposing exorbitant fees and implementing a systematic policy of harassment, which has prompted dozens of investors to close their establishments or leave the country in search of a safer environment.