UAE-backed forces abduct Yemeni captain from plane at Aden Airport

ADEN, Oct. 18 (YPA) -A Yemeni Captain at Yemenia Airways was reportedly abducted on Saturday by UAE-backed security forces at Aden International Airport, according to human rights sources and eyewitness accounts.

Rights groups confirmed that UAE-backed intelligence agents boarded the aircraft and abducted Captain Mohammed Al-Mutawakkil before his flight bound for Cairo took off, taking him to an unknown location. His whereabouts remain unknown.

He had been travelling with his family for medical treatment abroad, according to the sources.

In a social media post, Khaled Al-Mutawakkil, the Captain’s son, said that security officers boarded the plane, requested his father’s passport, and forced him off the aircraft without explanation.

He described the arrest as “a painful moment,” saying he was helpless to defend his father or understand the reason for such an arbitrary act.

He confirmed the family was forcibly separated from the father and has had no communication with him since, as his phone was switched off during the flight.

Observers said that the abduction highlights the continued security breakdown and the absence of state authority in Aden and other areas controlled by the Saudi-led coalition, a situation that has persisted since early 2016.

They also stressed that the incident at Aden Airport undermines the airport’s credibility as a civilian facility, which should be governed by professional procedures rather than arbitrary abductions of passengers aboard aircraft.

@E.Y.M