One of STC’s militants killed in IED blast in Abyan

ABYAN, July 18 (YPA) – A fighter loyal to the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC)’s militias was killed in Abyan, southern Yemen, on Saturday after being hit by an improvised explosive device blast , local sources said

This coincides with the continual clashes with Hadi’s forces for the second month in a row.

Local sources said the soldier, Mohammed Ali Salil, was passing through the town of Al-Muhafed when unknown assailants detonated an explosive device in a manner that killed him.

Salil was  one the most  wanted in Hadi and al-Islah militants’ list of perpetrators of ambushes targeting their forces since the start of the fighting with the STC militias

Salil’s death came at a time of intense clashes between forces of the two sides along the frontlines in Abyan.

Local sources said artillery and rocket fire had broken out along the line of confrontation in the Zinjibar and Shuqrah cities.

Both sides in the conflict, which has raged for nearly two months, have exchanged accusations about the shelling.

The developments come despite the deployment of a ceasefire monitoring committee by Saudi Arabia.

It also comes on the reality of the return of the two sides to escalation on the ground amid a stumble of Saudi-sponsored political negotiations in Riyadh two weeks ago.

E.M