Dhalea mosques spark fierce conflict between Salafist groups  

SHABWA, Sept. 15 (YPA) – Tensions have been escalated dangerously between the Saudi-backed Salafist group and another loyal to the UAE, as part of a renewed struggle for influence and control over mosques in Dhalea province, south of Yemen.

Sources familiar with the matter on Sunday affirmed that the extremist Salafist elements loyal to Saudi-funded Yahya al-Hajouri and members of the UAE-backed Salafist al-Fayoush Center, was on the verge of exploding on Sunday, amid tensions still fraught with accusations of By “denial and excommunication”.

The sources added that the Salafist elements coming from Al-Fayoush Center in Lahj province were seeking to take control of some mosques in Dhalea, where  their attempts were rejected by the Al-Hajouri group who had previously described the Al-Fayoush Center as a commercial rather than a religious center.

The conflict between the Salafist groups loyal to the UAE and Saudi Arabia comes amidst a significant expansion of control over mosques, with al-Hajouri establishing almost 25 centers across the southern and eastern provinces of Yemen under coalition control.

Earlier, the people of Lawdar district and the rest of the districts of the central areas of Abyan had rejected the presence of these groups affiliated with “Al-Hajouri”, which coincided with the uprising of awareness in Yafa’ district, rejecting the establishment of a center for “Al-Hajouri” in Al-Saadi’s office, due to the danger of their presence to the authentic thought and culture of the people of the southern provinces, as a cover for implementing suspicious foreign missions and agendas.

AA