Seven killed in Shabwa tribal clashes

SHABWA, May 10 (YPA) – Seven people were killed or injured on Sunday in armed clashes that erupted south of Ataq city, the capital of Yemen’s Shabwa province, amid a severe security breakdown in areas under the control of Saudi-aligned factions.

A local source affirmed that violent confrontations broke out between armed members of the Al Bubakar bin Doha and Al Rabee Bakazim tribes in the Usaylan district, resulting in four deaths and three injuries.

Preliminary figures indicate that two people were killed and two others wounded from the Al Bin Doha side, while two were killed and one injured from Al Bakazim.

The source added that tensions remained high in the area following the clashes.

It attributed the violence to long-standing tribal revenge disputes, exacerbated by the absence of effective state institutions and security forces since 2016.

The source also noted that Saudi-affiliated forces deployed in Ataq and surrounding areas have largely remained passive in the face of escalating tribal violence, while Shabwa’s governor, Awad bin Wazir, backed by the UAE, has reportedly been under house arrest in Riyadh since last January.

Meanwhile, Saudi military official Musleh Al-Otaibi is said to be overseeing security and military affairs in the province.

Shabwa has increasingly become a hotspot of armed tensions, with critics attributing the instability to competing regional influences between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi.

The province’s districts, according to these accounts, have turned into arenas for tribal and political score-settling, contributing to recurring outbreaks of violence.

Similar clashes were reported last weekend between members of the Al Muraziq and Al Bafiyadh tribes in the Usaylan junction area, leaving one dead and two injured, further highlighting the fragile security situation in the province.

AA