Video: Elderly Yemeni vendor burned in brutal officer attack over delayed order

Dubai: An elderly sweets vendor in Yemen’s Ibb province was brutally attacked by a Houthi militia security officer, who threw boiling oil on him during a dispute over service.

The assault caused severe burns and sparked widespread outrage on social media.

The incident occurred in Al Adin district, in southwestern Ibb, where the vendor was selling traditional fried sweets known as “zalabia.”

According to local witnesses, the Houthi-affiliated officer demanded immediate service, but the vendor, who was attending to other customers, asked him to wait his turn like everyone else.

Tensions escalated further when the officer demanded free sweets, a request the vendor refused. The confrontation turned violent when the officer kicked a pot of boiling oil, spilling it onto the vendor’s face and limbs, causing serious burns.

Videos showing the aftermath, including the injured vendor receiving emergency medical treatment, quickly circulated on social media.

This attack comes just days after a similar incident in central Ibb, where another security official was caught on surveillance cameras physically assaulting a restaurant worker over a delayed dessert order.

Huda Ata is an independent writer based in the UAE