Iran-Backed Houthis Abduct Two Teachers in Ibb as Crackdown on Education Sector Intensifies
In a fresh violation of human rights, the Iran-backed Houthi militia abducted two educators on Wednesday night in al-Qafr district of Ibb Governorate, Yemen, following a violent armed raid that terrorized local residents.
According to local sources, Houthi gunmen stormed the homes of teachers Abbas Hamid al-Wushah and Abdu Saleh al-Khubani late at night. The homes were ransacked, phones were confiscated, and the men were taken to an unknown location without any arrest warrants or legal charges.
Eyewitnesses described the operation as military-style, involving street closures and heavy militia deployment, causing widespread panic among women and children.
This incident is part of a wider campaign by the Houthis targeting educators and academics in Ibb, where schools and universities are being pressured through forced indoctrination or repression of dissenting voices.
Reports from the Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms indicate at least 83 abductions in Ibb from March 1 to July 20, 2025. Most victims were teachers, students, doctors, and religious leaders. Additionally, over 340 house raids, 18 organized looting incidents, and numerous cases of forced disappearances were documented.
Human rights activists stress that these are not isolated incidents but part of a calculated strategy to suppress civil society, enforce ideological dominance, and silence independent voices—especially in the education sector.
Families of the abductees called on the UN and international human rights bodies to urgently intervene, reveal the fate of their loved ones, and demand their unconditional release.
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