Tearing up pictures of “Al-Zubaidi” ignites armed confrontation in Aden

ADEN, May 05 (YPA) – Armed clashes erupted on Tuesday in Aden, a city controlled by Saudi-backed factions, amid a state of high alert and a heavy military deployment in the surrounding area.

Local sources in the city confirmed that a number of armed men loyal to Saudi Arabia in the “Dera Al-Watan” arrived in military vehicles at the parade ground in the Khor Maksar area after dawn prayers, and tore down pictures of the “dissolved” Southern Transitional Council (STC)’s President Aidarus al-Zubaidi, which were displayed on the platform in the square.

The sources explained that the Saudi vehicles’ storming of the square and the removal of STC banners followed an event organized by the STC on Monday to commemorate the ninth anniversary of its founding in 2017, an event established with Emirati support and funding.

According to the sources, the situation escalated into an exchange of fire between the Saudi-backed militants and STC-affiliated elements in the vicinity of the parade ground, reflecting the rising tensions between competing foreign agendas in the city.

YPA