Sana’a Warns of Targeting Citizens Due to Saudi-Emirati Militia Clashing in Shabwa

Shabwa Governor, Awad bin Farid Al-Awlaki, warned the militia backed by the Saudi-Emirati forces against targeting civilians as a result of their armed struggle for power in the governorate.

“A number of Shabwa civilians were killed during the past two days as a result of the clashes of these militia,” the governor of Shabwa said in a statement.

He added that civilians in Shabwa are now living as victims of the conflict in Ataq, stressing that the militias in Shabwa aim to sow discord and control the ports and oil fields in governorate.

Governor Al-Awlaki also stressed that the main task that Yemen should focus on is defending the homeland and the unity and integrity of its territories, and not accepting interference from any external forces in Yemen’s affairs.

The occupied southern governorates are witnessing a security chaos, and an escalation of attacks and assassinations between the parties loyal to the US-Saudi-UAE aggression, in light of the spread of Takfiri groups.

The attack in Shabwa comes with the escalation of the state of popular revolution, and the outbreak of massive protests in the city of Aden, reflecting the rejection of occupying UAE-Saudi aggression.

The citizens protest against the continued deterioration of living conditions, the interruption of services, the collapse of the economy and currency, and the significant increase in fuel prices.

On Tuesday, UAE-Saudi-backed forces carried out a massive campaign of arrests against citizens in the city, following the protests that demanded the expulsion of the “UAE-Saudi Council of agents”.

Local news revealed the escape of the first minister in the Saudi-backed government from the city of Aden. It was reported that the Minister of Defense in the Saudi-backed government, Mohammed Al-Maqdashi, fled from the Ma’ashiq “presidential” Palace.

Aden protests came two days after the outbreak of a popular uprising in Mukalla city, the capital of Hadramout province, which spread to Shihr and Ghail Bawazir cities, calling for improving living conditions and the level of electricity and water services.

Saudi Arabia and many of its allies have been waging a war on Yemen since 2015 to restore power there to the country’s Riyadh-friendly former officials. The war and a simultaneous siege that the US-Saudi-led coalition has been enforcing on the country has killed hundreds of thousands of Yemenis.