Islah militants block fuel tankers in Marib

MARIB, Dec. 18 (YPA) – Armed men loyal to the Islah Party blocked fuel and household gas tankers on the Safer road in Marib, heading toward Al-Abr in Shabwa and Hadramout, in a move described as ‘collective punishment’ against the people of Yemen’s southern and eastern governorates.

Armed men loyal to the Islah Party blocked fuel and household gas tankers on the Safer Road in Marib, heading toward Al-Abr in Shabwa and Hadramout, in a move described as ‘collective punishment’ against the people of Yemen’s southern and eastern governorates.

Video footage shows gunmen firing at tanker tires to prevent them from reaching areas controlled by UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) factions.

Meanwhile, Tribal gunmen from Wadi Abidh have also blocked the Safer–Al-Abr road since Saturday, holding around 20 tankers, including fuel and diesel trucks, in protest over the detention of three people from Marib by UAE-aligned groups in Shabwa.

The blockade coincides with a sudden reduction in gas allocations for southern governorates, including Hadramout and Mahra, by Islah officials at the Safer gas facility.

The crisis comes after the STC forces seized camps of the First Military Region, loyal to Islah, and labeled its leaders as “terrorist elements.”

Observers say Islah has used fuel as a key pressure tool to stir local resentment against the STC, worsening the region’s humanitarian crisis.

@E.Y.M

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