Saudi correspondent attacked by Islah militants in Taiz

TAIZ, July 04 (YPA) – A crew from the Saudi Al Arabiya and Al Hadath channels was attacked while attempting to document the damage due to the explosion of an Islah-affiliated weapons depot in the residential Quarter of Hawd Al Ashraf in Taiz.

Human rights sources reported that Islah members in the 22nd Mechanized Brigade assaulted Al Arabiya and Al Hadath correspondent Hael Saeed Al Sharhi and his film crew on Wednesday, preventing them from documenting the explosion of a house containing a warehouse for various ammunition and shells in the Quarter.

The explosion left one dead and almost 21 injured, including brigade recruits.

Al-Sharhi confirmed in a statement posted on his Facebook that he was assaulted while being inside the Al-Thawra Hospital to document the statements of the victims of the explosion.
He pointed out that he was subjected to verbal and physical assault, verbal abuse, and that their mobile phones were smashed.

Al-Sharhi also stated that they were prevented from photographing the explosion victims.
The Islah factions prevented activists from documenting the homes damaged by the weapons depot explosion, to prevent the truth about the explosion from being revealed to the public.

They instead promoted the cause of the explosion as the result of targeting by Sanaa forces.

Activists from Taiz documented the explosion of the weapons depot, with shells and shrapnel flying into the sky. The explosion destroyed several civilian homes and burnt down a fuel station.

AA