Al-Jaadna tribe warns of escalation as “Ashal” case resurfaces

ADEN, June 13 (YPA) – The case of Yemeni air defense officer Colonel Ali Ashal Al-Jaadani, who was abducted and forcibly disappeared in Aden, has resurfaced amid renewed tribal and human rights pressure on pro-Saudi local authorities to disclose his fate nearly two years after his disappearance.

Speaking at a tribal and human rights gathering held on Friday in Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan province, Hassan Ashal Al-Jaadani, brother of the disappeared officer, warned that the Al-Jaadna tribe would take escalatory measures if authorities continue to ignore their demands to reveal the fate of their relative, who has been forcibly disappeared since mid-July 2024.

In a statement issued following the meeting, the tribe accused factions affiliated with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates of involvement in the abduction and of obstructing the investigation into the case.

The statement said the tribe had exhausted all available legal and official options, including appeals to judicial authorities as well as military and political leaders, but that the investigation remains stalled.

Weeks after Al-Jaadani’s disappearance, Major General Mutaher Al-Shuaibi, Director of Security of Aden, affiliated with Saudi-backed authorities, reportedly revealed that senior figures within the UAE-funded Counter-Terrorism Unit were involved in the operation.

He named Yasran Al-Maqtari, Sameeh Al-Nourji, and others as being implicated.

Although arrest warrants were reportedly issued against several suspects, including through Interpol channels, no significant progress has been made in determining Al-Jaadani’s whereabouts. The lack of developments has heightened concerns among his family about his fate and whether he remains alive.

Despite the issuance of arrest warrants against the suspects through Interpol, authorities aligned with Saudi-backed forces in Aden have made no tangible progress in the case, raising concerns among the abducted officer’s family about his fate and whether he remains alive.

Over the past two years, repeated protests in Aden and Abyan have called for an end to the practice of enforced disappearances. These public and tribal demonstrations were reportedly met with crackdowns by UAE-backed factions, while a sit-in held by families of victims was also dispersed earlier this month in Aden by Saudi-backed forces.

@E.Y.M