After His Assassination, Houthi Group Abducts and Tortures Sheikh Saleh Hantous’ Relatives

Yemen Monitor/Sana’a / Exclusive:

Sources close to Sheikh Saleh Hantous, who was martyred last Tuesday after a Houthi group shelling targeted his home and mosque in the Al-Salafiya district of Raymah governorate, revealed that the group has escalated its violations following the crime. They have abducted more than 12 of his relatives, including nine of his brother’s sons and grandsons.

Despite Sheikh Hantous’s wife and elderly mother being injured in the attack on his residence, sources indicate that the group is systematically pursuing his family and relatives.

According to the sources, the abducted individuals are being subjected to severe torture to extract filmed confessions, in an attempt to conceal the motives of the crime and cover up the growing public anger among residents both internally and externally. The Houthis are reportedly observing with concern the signs of increasing popular discontent towards them, despite no clear organization of this anger yet.

These developments come days after the group attempted to justify the crime by claiming that the targeting of Hantous was part of a “security confrontation.” This was widely rejected by residents and activists, who considered the incident a liquidation crime targeting religious and social figures opposed to the group and its objectives.