Armed clashes leave dead, wounded, including leaders, in Mahra

MAHRA, July 08 (YPA) – A military commander loyal to the Saudi-led coalition was killed, and three others were wounded on Tuesday in armed clashes near the Sarfit border crossing with Oman, in Mahra province.

Local sources reported that clashes erupted between armed men from the pro-coalition factions and recruits from the Khawlan tribe after border security personnel stopped tribal sheikh Mohammed Ahmed Al Zaidi while he was on his way to Oman for medical treatment.

The clashes resulted in the death of the commander, Abdullah Zayed, who held the unofficial rank of “colonel,” and the injury of three others, including officer Yahya Al Washali.

The sources added that Al Zaidi was seeking to leave Yemen via the Sarfit crossing due to the continued closure of Sanaa International Airport by the coalition.

However, a dispute with the border security officer prevented his travel, prompting him to contact members of his tribe in Mahra. They refused to stop and arrest the sheikh, and tensions escalated into armed clashes.

The sources indicated that the coalition forces sent military reinforcements to the Hawf area, during which they arrested a number of travelers, including Al Zaidi and other recruits. They were also taken to the city of Al-Ghaydah, the provincial capital, and the border crossing was completely closed.

For its part, the sit-in committee against foreign presence in Mahra affirmed its lack of connection to the clashes that took place in Hawf District. In a statement issued following the incident, it emphasized its commitment to peaceful struggle and its categorical rejection of any acts of violence or unrest in the province.

The committee also warned against attempts to implicate its name in unrelated events, calling on the relevant authorities to conduct the necessary investigation and inform the public of the facts.

Meanwhile, dozens of Yemeni travelers through Aden Airport and land ports under coalition control have been subjected to killings and kidnappings under various pretexts aimed at extorting large sums of money from their families as ransoms, sometimes exceeding 10,000 Saudi riyals.

YPA