Saudi-backed commander survives assassination attempt in Abyan

ABYAN, July 12 (YPA) – A senior commander in the Saudi-backed “Dera Al-Watan” forces survived an assassination attempt on Thursday evening in eastern Lawdar district, Abyan province.

Unidentified assailants opened fire on the convoy of Ahmed Mohammed Al-Omairi, Chief of Staff of the 4th Brigade in the 3rd Division of the Dera Al-Watan factions, during an ambush in Wadi Azan east of the district.

The condition of Al-Omairi remains unknown, and no official statement has been issued regarding casualties or material losses resulting from the attack. The assailants have not yet been identified.

The assassination attempt comes amid the recent deployment of Saudi-backed factions across the central regions of Abyan, including Lawdar and the surrounding Akad mountains.

This expansion has been met with strong opposition from UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) factions in the province.

STC leaders in Abyan have accused Saudi Arabia of funding and supporting “terrorist elements” in the nearby Mudiyah district, further deepening tensions between rival factions backed by Riyadh and Abu Dhabi.

@E.Y.M