Violent clashes, prisoner escape attempts rock Lahj, Abyan

LAHJ, ABYAN, Jan. 07 (YPA) – Armed clashes erupted on Wednesday around the central prisons in the governorates of Lahj and Abyan, following simultaneous attempts to storm them, reflecting the extent of the security breakdown in the areas under the control of the coalition since the beginning of the year 2016.

Local sources reported that unknown gunmen attempted to storm the walls of the prison in Sabr area of ​​Lahj, leading to fierce clashes around the prison, while local residents managed to surround the attackers.

The sources confirmed the arrest of two gunmen in the outer perimeter of the prison, and the capture of others who had managed to infiltrate before the operation was thwarted.

They explained that the clashes resulted in one prisoner being shot in the foot while attempting to escape, and he was subsequently transferred to the hospital.

On the other hand, fierce clashes erupted with various types of machine guns in front of the gate of the central prison in the city of Zunjibar, the administrative center of Abyan governorate.

Informed sources reported that the gunmen attempted to forcibly free prisoners, but prison guards clashed with them, sparking panic and terror in the surrounding residential areas amid warnings of the expansion of this organized chaos that is striking deep into the southern provinces.

It should be noted that these bloody confrontations come amid a fierce regional power struggle between the UAE and Saudi Arabia, which have turned the southern provinces into an arena for settling political scores through local tools and factions.