One killed, several wounded in STC infighting in Abyan

ABYAN, Aug. 01 (YPA) – Casualties have been reported in fierce clashes between factions of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) following an armed uprising in the coastal district of Ahwar, Abyan Governorate, southern Yemen.

A local source confirmed that elements of the “Security Belt” forces blocked the international coastal road in Ahwar on Thursday evening, preventing the passage of fuel and gas tankers.

The move came in a protest against the non-payment of their financial entitlements, allegedly due to regional favoritism by faction leaders.

The source added that the STC leadership in Abyan had tasked “Nasr Al-Yafai” with leading a military campaign from the 1st Support and Reinforcement Brigade’s forces to quell the rebellion and reopen the coastal road.

The operation led to clashes in which one member of the Yafai faction was killed, and several others were wounded, some critically.

The clashes continued into the early hours of Friday morning, and the injured were transported to hospitals in Aden for treatment.

Despite reinforcements being sent to the area, tensions between the STC factions persist, in a dangerous indicator of the worsening internal divisions within the factions due to policies of exclusion and regional discrimination.

@E.Y.M