Gunmen raid restaurant in Aden

ADEN, July 21 (YPA) – Gunmen raided on Sunday one of the famous restaurants in the city of Aden, which is under the control of Saudi-led coalition, causing panic and terror among women and children.

Local sources in the city confirmed that the Director of the Sheikh Othman district, Wissam Maawiya, affiliated with the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), sent armed men to forcibly close the Al-Tawil restaurant and its kitchens in addition to expelling all people there by force.

The sources mentioned that the armed men stormed the restaurant, including the family section, and forced women and children to leave under the threat of weapons.

They described the incident as provocative and thuggish.

The sources also noted that the closure of the restaurant resulted in the damage  of large quantities of food and meat prepared for lunch.

According to the sources, Maawiya imposes taxes on restaurant owners, amounting to millions, which has led to the closure of several restaurants in recent months due to bankruptcy.

It is worth mentioning   that the Al-Tawil restaurant was not spared from the extortions, particularly after it had suffered substantial losses due to a fire that occurred at the end of June.

The sources accused the Sheikh Othman district official of practicing extortion and bullying on shop owners, extending violations to street vendors and stall owners, and confiscating their property.

@E.Y.M