Saudi-backed forces storm Shabwa rally to block STC event

SHABWA, Feb. 11 (YPA) – Security and military forces loyal to the Saudi-led coalition stormed a public square in Yemen’s Shabwa governorate early Wednesday, targeting an event organized by the Southern Transitional Council (STC).

According to media reports, the forces surrounded the site of the “Southern Martyrs Day” event in Ataq city hours before it was scheduled to begin.

They then entered the venue, destroyed the speakers’ platform, and fired heavy and light weapons into the crowd to disperse attendees.

The STC in Shabwa condemned the raid, calling it a “crime” that violates rights and freedoms.

The governorate’s security committee, meanwhile, denied allowing any unlicensed activities, citing the broader Southern movement’s push against attempts to bypass the southern cause.

@E.Y.M