SANAA, 25 February 2022, (TON): According to a lawyer in the city “the Iran-backed Houthis have abducted two more Yemeni employees of the US embassy in Sanaa.”

Meanwhile the militia has ordered the seizure of more properties belonging to its opponents.

Abdul Majeed Sabra, a Yemeni lawyer who defends abductees held in Houthi prisons, told Arab News on Thursday that two press officers at the shuttered US embassy in Sanaa have been detained. They were identified as Abdul Rahman Al-Sharabi and Nabiel Sultan.

The latest detentions come almost four months after the Houthis stormed the embassy compound, seized the property and detained about two dozen local workers.

When Arab News contacted the US Department of State, a spokesperson refused to confirm or deny the latest reports of abductions, citing concerns about the safety of embassy staff, but said that efforts are being made to secure the release of all detained workers.

He said “we condemn the Houthis’ continued detention of US and UN local Yemeni staff in Sanaa in the strongest possible terms.”

This action sends worrying signals about the Houthi commitment to peace and intentions toward the international community.