News Center — Residents in areas under Houthi control in Yemen are facing an escalating state of violence and security chaos, as the widespread presence of weapons has become a familiar part of daily life. This places civilians’ lives at constant risk and deepens their suffering amid the absence of state institutions and the weakness of deterrence and accountability mechanisms.

Yesterday, Wednesday, December 18, the Yemeni capital Sana’a witnessed a horrific killing that claimed the lives of a man, three women, and a child, after their vehicle was targeted with a heavy barrage of gunfire on Khawlan Street – Al-Khafji Roundabout, amid the ongoing security breakdown gripping the city.

Eyewitnesses said that gunmen riding in a “Jeep” vehicle carried out a sudden attack, opening intense fire on the victims before fleeing the scene without facing any pursuit. Speculation has grown that the attackers belong to Houthi elements, given the group’s tight control over the security landscape in Sana’a.

The crime sparked shock among residents, who expressed anger and frustration over the repeated incidents of random killings in the absence of justice and accountability. Many stated that Sana’a has become an open arena for terrorizing civilians and carrying out armed assassinations, reflecting the extent of the security collapse weighing heavily on people’s daily lives.

Witnesses reported that the victims were directly targeted while inside the vehicle, resulting in their immediate death, in a crime described as one of the most brutal the country has seen recently. Despite the gravity of the incident, its motives and circumstances remain unclear, while residents hold the Houthis responsible for the spread of violence and for providing cover to the perpetrators, deepening fear and eroding trust in the security situation in the capital.

This crime falls within a continuous series of violations targeting civilians in areas under Houthi control, where the proliferation of weapons and organized crime has become a routine daily scene. This reality fuels public anger and renews calls to put an end to crimes committed by the Houthis, hold those responsible accountable, and end policies of repression and terror for which civilians continue to pay a heavy price.