Houthi militia forces academics and students at Ibb University to attend military and sectarian courses, turning the campus into a training ground.

Houthi Militia Forces Academics and Students at Ibb University to Attend Military Training

The Houthi militia has compelled academics, professors, and staff at Ibb University and other private universities in the region to participate in intensive military training courses. This initiative reflects the militia’s ongoing efforts to militarize educational institutions and use them as tools to further their sectarian agenda.

Military Training Courses Implemented

According to informed sources, the militia has recently initiated new military training sessions targeting faculty and staff at Ibb University. They have repurposed classrooms, hallways, and courtyards of the university as training sites. The programs include both theoretical and practical components, featuring the use of weapons and live ammunition.

Threats and Coercion

Sources indicate that the militia has threatened those who refuse to attend with severe penalties, including termination of employment. Many academics suffer from chronic illnesses or are of advanced age, making participation in such activities particularly challenging.

Coercive Military Drills

Additionally, the militia has forced academics and students to participate in separate events involving military marches and live ammunition drills. This exploitation highlights the extent to which the university has been manipulated for military purposes.

Public Outcry and Resistance

Activists have circulated images documenting the training sessions within the university, sparking widespread outrage among students and faculty. Many express concern over the ongoing humiliation of educational staff, while the militia exerts pressure on families to enroll their children in sectarian courses.

Targeting Students

Academic sources report that the militia has also implemented similar training courses for university students, threatening those who refuse with grade deductions in various faculties. In some cases, the militia has suspended classes in specific disciplines to force students to attend sessions labeled “Tsunami of Al-Aqsa.”

State Institutions Used for Coercion

The militia has resorted to utilizing state institutions under its control to compel employees and students from universities and schools to join its training programs. This tactic aims to counteract widespread community resistance.

Transformation of Ibb University

The militia has effectively transformed Ibb University into a platform for disseminating its sectarian ideology and a venue for military activities. This blatant violation of the university’s educational and academic objectives continues as the militia targets schoolchildren and various community segments with military and sectarian training.

The situation at Ibb University underscores the urgent need for international attention and intervention to protect educational institutions from militarization and ideological exploitation.

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