Houthis Accused of Fueling Tribal Clashes in Yemen’s Ibb Governorate

The Ibb Governorate witnessed armed clashes on Tuesday evening between tribal groups in Al-Makhadir District, coinciding with a series of separate security incidents and acts of unrest across several areas of the province.

According to local sources, the clashes broke out in Al-Jabana village in the Al-Sahul area between armed individuals from the Al-Saeedi and Al-Hudayda families, following a dispute over a plot of land.

The same sources indicated that multiple areas in Al-Sahul have recently experienced a wave of targeted attacks against civilians and local notables, including the vandalism of a vehicle belonging to Judge Mohammed Mohammed Ghanem Al-Shibibi, which occurred one day after an explosive device targeted the vehicle of Sheikh Abdullah Habib.

In a related development, residents of Al-Umuqain village in Al-Siyani District reported episodes of gunfire and intimidation allegedly carried out by armed elements affiliated with Houthi supervisors, generating widespread fear and unease among the local population.

These developments come amid growing complaints over the deterioration of security conditions and the expansion of armed disputes and violent incidents in several districts across Ibb Governorate.

Local sources accuse the Houthi militia of exacerbating tribal tensions and internal conflicts in the province by exploiting local disputes and inflaming them further, contributing to the spread of disorder and deepening social fragmentation in large parts of Ibb.