Fuel tanker drivers suspend shipments to Shabwa over continued seizure of tankers

SHABWA, Oct. 18 (YPA) – Dozens of Drivers of petroleum product tankers announced on Sunday that they would halt shipments bound for Shabwa province in an escalation over the continued detention of their tankers by Saudi-backed authorities at the Atiq Improvement checkpoint.

An official statement issued by mazut tanker drivers and addressed to all owners and drivers of gas, petrol and diesel tankers said the ban would take effect on Sunday, following a deadlock in efforts to resolve the dispute and the disregard of their legitimate demands.

The statement attributed the decision to the intransigence of those operating the checkpoint in Shabwa and their continued detention of mazut tankers since early October, without any legal justification.

It said all tankers had valid official paperwork and documentation, as well as the required notifications and permits issued by the relevant authorities, but these had been ignored by checkpoint personnel.

The drivers warned against violating the ban or disregarding its effective date, stating that any driver who did so would bear full responsibility for any consequences affecting them or their tanker and would have no right to seek compensation or make claims against the statement’s issuing body.

The suspension threatens a severe shortage of petroleum products and cooking gas across Shabwa’s districts in the coming days.

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