Senior commander declares formation of “Armed Southern Resistance” against UAE-backed factions
TAIZ, Oct. 24 (YPA) – A southern military leader loyal to the Islah Party announced the formation of the “Armed Southern Resistance” to confront UAE-backed factions.
The announcement, with the participation of dozens of officers and soldiers, sparked panic and anxiety among the Southern Transitional Council (STC) activists.
Islah political activist Adel al-Hasani, who resides in the Turkish capital, Ankara, confirmed in a post on the X on Wednesday that the establishment of what he called the “Armed Southern National Resistance” was led by the former commander of the Transport Brigade in Aden, Amjad Khaled al-Qahtani, and 60 officers and soldiers. The goal is to “liberate Aden and the southern governorates and expel foreign forces.”
Activist al-Hasani explained that the “Armed Southern Resistance” is based in areas between the province of Lahj and Taiz, with the aim of liberating the southern provinces of Yemen from the control of the coalition,” a reference to the factions funded by the UAE.
He stated that leader Al-Qahtani was the first to confront the Houthi forces in the south, indicating that he was targeted for refusing to work for the UAE or accept its “recruitment.”
Al-Hasani attributed the actions of leader Amjad Khaled and his companions to their “realization of the danger of foreign powers controlling the south and the historical repercussions this would have on future generations”.
He said that they “saw the need to move toward liberating the land and defending the nation’s sovereignty.”
On the other hand, activists from the southern provinces circulated warnings to all elements loyal to the UAE and other factions, urging them to stay away from armored vehicles, military equipment, and anything connected to foreign powers and what they described as “Israeli committees”, for their own safety.
Amjad Khaled, a graduate of the Zayed Military College in the UAE, was appointed commander of the Transport Brigade in Aden. He fought fierce battles against STC factions in August 2019, which ended with the latter’s control of the city and the withdrawal of its militants to the city of Shaqra in Abyan.
A court affiliated with the STC in Aden issued a death sentence last May, sentencing Amjad Khaled to death for the assassination of Thabet Jawas, commander of the Al-Anad Axis, in late March 2023, in the Green Zone north of Aden.
Leader Amjad Khaled is based in the area where the Islah-affiliated Fourth Mountain Infantry Brigade, led by Abu Bakr al-Jabbouli, is deployed in the Turbah Axis, commanded by Abu Bakr al-Jabbouli. He is also reportedly present in the Turbah area, the center of the Al-Shamayateen district, south of Taiz province.
Observers have seen the announcement of the establishment of the “Armed Southern Resistance,” which is stationed in strategic areas between Taiz and Lahj, as a qualitative escalation, interpreted as a preemptive reaction to the recent speech of the head of the UAE-backed STC, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, in early October, regarding the inclusion of Taiz and Marib, which are under the control of the Islah party, into the so-called “Arab South”, with indications of the spread of Salafist factions loyal to Abu Dhabi in Taiz, following the assassination of the ftehan Al-Mashhari, the Director of the Public Hygiene and Improvement Fund, in mid-September.
AA