7 dead, wounded in Abyan armed clashes

ABYAN, July 02 (YPA) – About three members of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) were killed and four wounded on Tuesday, including field commanders, in bloody clashes in the city of Zinjibar of Abyan province, south of Yemen.

A local source in the city said that the clashes erupted between members of the Security Belt factions, led by Mustafa Lashqam, and the Gulf City Protection Force, led by Abdul Rahman al-Faqih.

The source attributed the clashes to previous disputes following the arrest of al-Faqih’s brother by Security Belt forces last November at the Arish checkpoint on charges of possessing alcohol and women.

The clashes broke out after an attempt to oust al-Faqih from command of the Gulf City residential area in Khanfar district, which led to an explosion of tensions between the UAE-funded faction leaders, who have witnessed unprecedented internal conflicts and disputes due to their rivalry over lands in the area.

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