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Yemen weapons dealers selling machine guns on X (www.bbc.com)

submitted 2 months ago by lemmee_in@lemm.ee to c/nottheonion@lemmy.world

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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.

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[–] tilefan@lemm.ee 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

just because something isn't common around you doesn't mean it's not common.

[–] Jiggle_Physics@lemmy.world -2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Just because it is common around you doesn't mean it is common on a societal scale, which is the one they are speaking to. You know this. You know, that the general public defines guns this way. The technical definition is not the common one.

[–] tilefan@lemm.ee 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

that's literally what I just fucking said

[–] Jiggle_Physics@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

I apologize, the way my phone collapses a lot of comments to fit the screen made it look like you were @tal@lemmy.today. Which made it seem like you were saying, basically the opposite. I didn't notice the difference in commenter names until I expanded each little downward pointing chevron on this thread.