Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
Violent clashes erupted today in the Mheifif area of Al-Ghaydah city, the capital of Al-Mahra Governorate, between army and security forces and wanted individuals suspected of involvement in drug-smuggling activities.
According to local sources, the confrontation broke out during a security raid on a house where several suspects were hiding, following days of surveillance and monitoring operations.
The clashes resulted in the injury of five people, including four security personnel and a Somali civilian. All were transferred to Al-Ghaydah Central Hospital for treatment, while security forces continue to maintain their presence around the area.
For his part, Major General Mohsen Ali Marsa’a, Commander of the Al-Ghaydah Axis and Commander of the Military Police Brigade, told September Net that the armed forces and security agencies in Al-Mahra will not tolerate anyone attempting to destabilize the governorate’s security and stability.
Major General Marsa’a stated that today’s clashes resulted in injuries among army and security personnel, noting that the forces successfully arrested all members of the gang involved in smuggling and sabotage activities.
He added that the security and military forces are on full alert and will respond firmly to any attempts to undermine Al-Mahra’s security, stressing that anyone who collaborates with or shelters such gangs will be held legally accountable.
Marsa’a emphasized that the army and security forces stand ready to implement the directives of the political, military, and local leadership, led by Governor Mohammed Ali Yasser, to ensure the maintenance of peace and stability throughout the governorate.
This comes as Minister of Interior Major General Ibrahim Haidan revealed, in a statement to Asharq Al-Awsat, that security forces had arrested members of Hezbollah, as well as Syrian and Iranian nationals, involved in drug trafficking and in supporting the Houthi militia.
The minister explained that these individuals were linked to international smuggling networks that relocated to Yemen after the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, noting that security forces at Aden International Airport had arrested two individuals — one from Hezbollah and the other Syrian — after they attempted to enter the country disguised as tourists, following the suspension of flights from Sana’a Airport, which remains under Houthi control.
Major General Haidan also accused Iran of intensifying its activities in Yemen by transferring military experts, as well as factories for drugs and drones, following the collapse of some of its traditional proxies in the region.
