Mysterious blasts force ‘Third Brigade’ to withdraw from Al-Mudharaba front

LAHJ, Oct. 23 (YPA)-Saudi-backed forces from the 3rd Support and Reinforcement Brigade withdrew from positions on the Al-Mudarabah front in western Lahj province on Friday after a military vehicle was destroyed in an explosion.

According to informed media sources, forces from the brigade commanded by Nabil Al-Mashwashi Al-Yafei withdrew after a military vehicle belonging to a field commander struck a landmine in the Al-Ka‘lala area of Al-Mudharaba. The incident sparked accusations of “treason,” particularly given allegations that Al-Mashwashi was involved in the September 2025 killing of Mahdi Al-Aqrabi, a sheikh from the Bir Ahmed area.

The explosion in territory controlled by Saudi-backed forces raised suspicions of infiltration and internal betrayal, the sources said. The forces had reportedly arrived from Abyan province in recent days.

The sources said the incident came after similar explosions targeting members of the al-Amaliqa Brigades. They added that no similar incidents had been reported among other factions of the Saudi- funded “Dera Al-Watan” forces.

Its worthy nothing that the “Dera Al-Watan” forces were established in early 2023 by a decision of Presidential Leadership Council head Rashad Al-Alimi.

The latest development comes weeks after dozens of Al-Amaliqa Brigades personnel withdrew to Aden.

They reportedly refused to continue fighting west of Ras Al-Arah in Lahj, citing what they described as “betrayals and conspiracies” aimed at eliminating southern factions.

The allegations also included reports that airstrikes attributed to the Saudi-led coalition had killed and wounded hundreds of people, including field commanders, amid a strict media blackout.

@E.Y.M