Five pro-Tariq Saleh fighters kidnapped by gunmen in Taiz

TAIZ, March 26(YPA)  – Tribal gunmen from the al-Wazi’iyah area have abducted five soldiers affiliated with forces loyal to Tariq Saleh in western Taiz province, local sources said.

According to the sources, armed tribesmen from the al-Mashawilah tribe, led by a figure identified as Ahmed Salem al-Mashwli, carried out the abduction operation  as the soldiers—members of the Third Al-Amaliqa Brigade—were returning to their military positions in al-Wazi’iyah. The abductees were taken to an unknown location.

Sources identified the five soldiers as Nour al-Din Fakhri, Khaled Fakhri, Mohammed Amisi, Bashir Hulaissi, and Abdullah Abdulmomen, adding that the abduction was intended as a “pressure tactic” against Tariq Saleh, without disclosing full details of the motives or demands.

Other reports suggest the incident may be rooted in tribal disputes or local rivalries over influence or revenge, amid fragmented loyalties among armed factions and ongoing tensions in al-Wazi’iyah in recent months.

Families of the abducted soldiers, along with activists from the Tihama region, expressed concern over the “complete silence” from Saleh’s forces for a second consecutive day, with no apparent efforts to secure the soldiers’ release or issue an official statement.

Relatives accused the leadership of negligence, holding Saleh and the Saudi-backed forces based in Mocha fully responsible for the safety of the abductees, citing a lack of visible action on the ground.

The incident underscores rising tensions between armed factions and local tribes in al-Wazi’iyah, pointing to a deteriorating security situation in the area.

@E.Y.M