STC abducts senior leader in ‘southern resistance’ in Aden

ADEN, Oct. 15 (YPA) – Forces affiliated with UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) abducted a prominent leader and several activists following a violent crackdown on a protest in the center of Aden, southern Yemen.

The incident took place on Tuesday evening in the Crater district’s Banks Square, where demonstrators had gathered to protest the continuous collapse of electricity services and the non-payment of salaries.

According to human rights sources in the city, STC elements kidnapped a number of activists, including Hani Al-Yazidi Al-Yafaei, a leader in the “Southern Resistance” who previously served as the director of Al-Buraiqeh district, and activist Ahmed Humaidan.

The sources further stated that the abduction of Al-Yafaei and the violent suppression of the protest, during which live rounds were fired, marked a “dangerous phenomenon” of violating the legitimate rights of Aden’s residents.

The protest coincided with the 62nd anniversary of the October 14 revolution, a date marking a key anti-colonial uprising in southern Yemen.

Participants chanted against the STC’s leadership, calling them “thieves”, in a reference to rampant corruption and the failure to meet citizens’ demands, including the payment of salaries and the improvement of basic services,

In a statement, the protest’s organizing body, the Coordination Committee of Civil and Rights Forces, condemned the use of excessive force against demonstrators.

The committee demanded an urgent and transparent investigation into the incident and immediate release of those abducted.

The committee’s statement affirmed that “acts of repression will not succeed in silencing the voice of the people,” emphasizing its commitment to peaceful protest until all legitimate demands are met.

@E.Y.M