YEMEN Press Agency

Sanaa denies reports of military commanders captured in Taiz

SANAA, Oct. 15 (YPA) – The head of the Prisoners’ Affairs Committee in Sanaa, Abdulqader Al-Mortada, on Wednesday denied reports by Saudi-affiliated media that military commanders from Sanaa forces had been captured in Taiz province.

In a statement, Al-Mortada said the reports were false, explaining that those captured were Interior Ministry personnel sent to organize and secure the central prison in Taiz after Sanaa forces took control of it on Tuesday.

He said the personnel had lost their way because of the overlapping front lines and entered an area still controlled by Saudi-backed factions, where they were surrounded and captured.

“Such incidents are common, particularly on front lines in residential areas, and occur repeatedly on both sides. What happened does not constitute a strategic victory or change the course of the battle,” he said.

Al-Mortada accused pro-Saudi media of spreading the reports to cover up the setbacks suffered by Saudi-backed forces on various fronts and boost their fighters’ morale.

“The fighting is still ongoing, and our armed forces have captured more than 700 prisoners on the Taiz fronts, including dozens of senior military commanders. However, we do not want to boast about these captures, as the issue of prisoners is a humanitarian one. All parties must respect and protect prisoners’ rights and refrain from publicizing their identities in the media or before the public,” he said.

Al-Mortada held Saudi-backed factions responsible for the safety of all prisoners and called on the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to visit them in Taiz province and check on their conditions.

 

@E.Y.M