Lahj witnesses unprecedented military escalation following ambush targeting Taiz governor

LAHJ, Nov. 25 (YPA) – Villages in Wadi Najd Al-Bard, Al-Maqatirah district of Lahj Governorate, southern Yemen, are facing unprecedented and fierce shelling with medium and heavy weapons by factions of the “Fourth Brigade” affiliated with the Saudi-led coalition, leading to a mass displacement of residents amid a state of terror.

According to local sources, the shelling comes as an act of retaliation following an armed ambush carried out by tribesmen last week, which targeted the convoy of Taiz Governor loyal to the coalition, Nabil Shamsan, and the Commander of the Fourth Brigade, Abu Bakr Al-Jubouli. The ambush resulted in the death of 7 people, including 5 of the governor’s escorts.

The ambush incident is linked to the earlier assassination of the young man Wael Wadi’ Al-Maqtari. The tribes accuse the brother of the Fourth Brigade commander, Alawi Al-Jubouli, of the killing. The tribes carried out the ambush after their efforts to refer the accused to the judiciary reached a dead end due to the immunity granted to him.

The factions are using heavy weapons such as the 14.7mm machine gun and 23mm anti-aircraft gun, causing dozens of families to flee their homes.

The sources indicate that the field situation warns of an imminent armed escalation, with tribes mobilizing to confront the campaign and threats to cut the strategic road linking Taiz and Lahj (below Hayjat Al-Abd).

YPA