Senior STC security official escapes custody in southern Yemen

LAHJ, Jan. 18 (YPA) –  A senior security figure affiliated with the UAE-backed, recently dissolved Southern Transitional Council (STC) has escaped from a prison in Lahj governorate, southern Yemen, to an unknown destination, sources familiar with the matter said.

The sources confirmed that Adnan Al-Dhalei, commander of the so-called “Counterterrorism Unit” in Lahj, fled from the Fourth Brigade Camp Prison.

They said the escape was facilitated through direct collusion by leaders within the Security Belt forces in Lahj, adding that his whereabouts remain unknown.

Al-Dhalei was arrested in late October after being apprehended in a prostitution apartment in the Al-Ribat area, where he was found with four women and quantities of alcohol, according to the sources. He was later transferred to a detention facility at the Fourth Brigade headquarters.

STC leaders are reportedly seeking to cover up the escape scandal and close the case away from media attention, as public anger grows and human rights groups demand Al-Dhalei’s arrest, his return to custody, and the transparent disclosure of investigation findings.

Human rights activists in Lahj called for accountability for all those involved in facilitating Al-Dhalei’s escape, including those who enabled it.

@E.Y.M