Second-in-command of Saudi-backed “Dera Al-Watan” forces resigns

ADEN, May 20 (YPA) – “Abdel-Rahman Al-Lahji”, the second-in-command of the Riyadh-funded “Dera Al-Watan” forces, left Aden airport this Wednesday afternoon for the Kingdom, following an urgent recall by the “Special Committee.”

This comes a day after he tendered his resignation, which was rejected by the Saudi delegate in Aden, “Falah Al-Shahrani,” amid strict secrecy regarding the motives.

Al-Lahji’s resignation dealt a shocking blow to Riyadh, arriving just two months after his appointment in mid-March. It marks the second high-profile departure following that of the faction’s former commander, “Bashir Al-Madhrabi Al-Subaihi,” who had refused to confront the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) elements in Hadramout government.

Al-Lahji is considered one of the most prominent former commanders of the UAE-aligned “Al-Amaliqa” factions, having been recruited from “Al-Qaeda organization elements” in the Al-Mansoura district after the war on Yemen broke out in March 2015. Alongside several leaders of “terrorist organizations,” he subsequently served as the spearhead in fighting the Sanaa forces on the western coast, executing UAE agendas aimed at securing Israeli navigation in the Red Sea.

YPA