uthorities in Yemen’s Huthi rebel-held capital Sanaa confiscated and burned hundreds of images of underwear models from lingerie shops and retailers, an official said Wednesday.

The Iran-backed Huthis are locked in a brutal war with Yemen’s government and have imposed strict moral rules in areas under their control, with women particularly targeted.

“The commerce ministry confiscated all of the photos of women from my shop under the pretext they were naked which undermines modesty,” Mohammed al-Alimi, a lingerie shop owner in Al-Safiya district, told AFP.
nother retailer, Omar al-Ouessabi, confirmed the Huthi campaign had targeted lingerie shops.

He added that “hundreds” of photos were burned by the Huthis, who control much of the north, including Sanaa since 2014.

“The authorities in Sanaa recently descended on lingerie shops and confiscated indecent images,” a rebel official told AFP.

The exercise had targeted the entire capital after traders were warned.

“We are a conservative society. We all have our own dress and customs. This type of indecent image will not be allowed,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

But several other officials of the Huthi movement criticised the move.
bdelmalik al-Ajri, a member of the Huthi political bureau, called on the local authorities to “contain their officers who have misinterpreted religion”.

It was not the first case of Huthi action against shops selling women’s items.

Last year, members of the rebel movement confiscated accessories worn by women over dresses to accentuate their figures.

Sanaa’s sole cafe for women, Ophelia, was meanwhile forced to close its doors.
nd hair dressers in the city have been ordered to refuse to give cuts deemed inappropriate although hugely popular among young clients.

The rebels have continued to exert their influence despite the 2015 intervention of a coalition led by Saudi Arabia, Iran’s arch-rival.

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