Tariq Affash storms STC’s stronghold ‘Dhalea’
DHALEA, Nov. 28 (YPA) – A Pro-UAE military commander Tariq Afash stormed the main stronghold of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) leaders, Dhalea province, southern Yemen.
According to media sources, “the General People’s Congress (GPC)’s leaders, loyal to the UAE, attracted thousands of young people from Dhalea to the camps of Tariq Affash on the west coast.”
Sources added, ” Tariq Affash followed a deadly strategy in pulling the rug from the STC at the behest of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, to recruit thousands of the people of Dhalea, to enroll them in his camps, to be the alternative force to the “STC” militia after recruiting thousands of Al-Subaiha people and Radfan in Lahj and Abyan.”
The same sources pointed out that Saudi Arabia funded Affash to establish the so-called “Al-Waiyat Al-Nassr”, “victory brigades” and lure young people with money through the leaders of the GPC in Dhalea, which activists of the “STC” called them “brokers”.
Sources indicated that a number of the “Security Belt” militia in Dhalea joined during the past days to the camps of “Affash” in order to obtain money, after Tariq succeeded in attracting the sons of Al-Subaiha, Radfan and Abyan who are opposing the “STC” to enroll them in his forces.
“It is a painful military blow, according to Saudi-Emirati directions to end the role of the STC in all southern governorates, after detaining its leaders in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh and preventing their return to Aden,” the sources said.
The source pointed out that Tariq Affash equipped about 5 brigades from the sons of Al-Subaiha, Radfan and Abyan, including extremist Salafi groups, with Saudi-Emirati funding in the western coast of Yemen, under different banners, amid to silence the STC’s leaders
This comes within the framework of the Saudi-Emirati new orientation to end the play of “STC” and impose a new reality in the southern governorates away from the STC and Islah, which do not represent any decision in political solutions and achieving peace in Yemen.
E.M