2 “Defense of Shabwa” personnel killed, 3 injured in terrorist attack in Shabwa

SHABWA, Oct. 22 (YPA) – At least two personnel from the Saudi-backed “Defense of Shabwa” factions—affiliated with the dissolved Southern Transitional Council (STC)—were killed and three injured on Thursday in a terrorist attack targeting a military checkpoint in the Khowrah area of Shabwa Governorate.

Local sources in the governorate reported that Al-Qaeda elements affiliated with the Islah Party launched a sudden assault using various types of weapons on a factional military checkpoint in the Jarn area of Wadi Khowrah, located in the Markha Al-Sufla district.

It is worth noting that terrorist elements have been stationed in various districts of Shabwa, as well as in Modiya within Abyan Governorate, since Sanaa forces carried out military operations in 2020 that cleared Bayda Governorate of those criminal elements.

Conversely, leaders of the terrorist organization headed toward Al-Wadi District in Marib—which is under Islah Party control—establishing the Al-Samdah area as their headquarters and setting up several training camps in the valley. Over the past years, they have dispatched these elements to Shabwa, Abyan, and Hadramout.

The factions loyal to the STC have suffered heavy losses in equipment and personnel in Modiya, Abyan, following the launch of the so-called “Arrows of the East” operation, which seized control of Islah camps in Shabwa and Abyan in August 2022.

YPA