Update: 3 Killed, dozens injured by Saudi-backed forces in pro-STC protest in Mukalla

MUKALLA, April 04 (YPA) – A human rights source revealed on Saturday evening that 3 protesters loyal to the “dissolved” Southern Transitional Council (STC) were killed and dozens others injured by gunfire from Saudi-backed “Dera Al-Watan” forces in Mukalla city of Hadramout Governorate.

The source confirmed that the bullets of those forces claimed the lives of: “Omar Bahidrah” (known by the nickname “Dahboosh”), Osama Ahmed Bajama’a, and Ahmed Al-Marfadi, who succumbed to severe injuries sustained during the demonstration in Mukalla.

The protests were held to demand an end to what the demonstrators described as “Saudi guardianship” and to protest the continued detention of abductees since last Wednesday, according to the source.

In a related context, the source pointed to a large number of wounded, including severe cases of suffocation resulting from the forces’ use of tear gas and smoke canisters to disperse the crowds in the city’s streets.

This field escalation comes just one day after the Saudi-affiliated authorities announced a total ban on demonstrations and gatherings in Mukalla, warning in an official statement issued yesterday, Friday, to prosecute anyone who violates the ban.

YPA