The traders operate in the capital Sana’a and other areas under control of the Houthis.

Weapons dealers in Yemen are openly using the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, to sell Kalashnikovs, pistols, grenades and grenade-launchers.

The traders operate in the capital Sana’a and other areas under control of the Houthis, a rebel group backed by Iran and proscribed as terrorists by the US and Australian governments.

The advertisements are mostly in Arabic and aimed primarily at Yemeni customers in a country where the number of guns is often said to outnumber the population by three to one.

The BBC has found several examples online, offering weapons at prices in both Yemeni and Saudi riyals.

The words beside the weapons are designed to lure in the buyers.

“Premium craftsmanship and top-notch warranty,” says one advertisement. “The Yemeni-modified AK is your best choice.”

A demonstration video, filmed at night, shows the seller blasting off a 30-round magazine on full automatic.

Another offers sand-coloured Pakistani-produced Glock pistols for around $900 each.

  • circuscriticEnglish
    5•4 months ago

    Why are you assuming that there is a state of law and order to any degree, outside of maybe the capital…?

    Are you aware that we’re talking about Yemen…?

    Notice that Wikipedia page for their civil war doesn’t currently have an end date i.e. it’s still active…

    It’s not like Twitter is providing up support for these transactions, I’m saying it’s not surprising they exist on a public forum like Twitter for a country that’s ravaged by a decade war and famine.

    Just like how kids in the United States sell drugs on Twitter or Instagram.

    So no, Twitter is not automatically liable just because people are abusing the platform. I’m not saying it can’t get there, just that it’s not that simple.

    Regardless, I wasn’t saying anything about the legality of it for Twitter.

    • sp3ctr4lEnglish
      1•4 months ago

      I am not. I in fact said the opposite.

      Please tell me you can see the difference between exploiting the loopholes in a country with a highly complex array or of firearms laws, and an open air bazaar in a foreign country with basically no gun laws.

      EDIT: Now that I’m quoting myself, that or should be an of, whoops.

      • circuscriticEnglish
        2•4 months ago

        At no point did I mention laws, or legal loopholes.

        And I certainly never mentioned anything about the United States, or the legal liability of Twitter, except as in response to your comment.

        I think you’re confusing my acknowledgment of the daily reality of a country that is currently divided between 3 and 5 major and minor factions, all in various states of civil conflict, with being something else entirely.

        I wasn’t providing any opinion, or analysis, on the legality from Twitter’s perspective. I certainly wasn’t making any comparisons to laws in the United States and Yemen, or anything else that you’ve been talking about since your first comment.

        I would make the “duh no shit this is clickbait” observation if the BBC ran yet another story about how kids are selling drugs on Snapchat or Instagram.