Violent clashes erupt in Abyan, leave killed, injured

ABYAN, May 08 (YPA) – Violent clashes erupted between the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) factions and tribal gunmen in Abyan governorate, southern Yemen, leaving a number of dead and wounded.

A local source in the governorate explained that the clashes broke out yesterday evening, between the “Third Support and Reinforcement Brigade” factions and members of the Al Waleed tribe in the village of Kawkab, east of Maudiyah district, leaving one member of the tribe, Hussam Masoud, dead and three other Transitional Council members injured.

He confirmed that the Al Waleed tribesmen refused to allow the Transitional Council members to storm their homes, leading to clashes with various types of light and medium weapons.

The source indicated that the elements imposed a siege on the village, causing panic and terror among women and children.

He reported that a number of gunmen from the village confronted the Transitional Council members and managed to damage one of the military vehicles, forcing them to withdraw from the area.

The leaders of the STC factions claimed that their armed campaign against the village of Al-Kawkab was harboring “terrorist” elements accused of carrying out a number of armed ambushes against their military vehicles in Maudiyah.