Yemen Monitor / Shabwa / Exclusive:
The forces of the 4th Brigade, stationed in the Azan district of Shabwa in southeastern Yemen, withdrew today, Friday. The move follows the departure of its dismissed commander, Asil Barasheed, who had rebelled against a decision by Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council member Abdulrahman al-Mahrami to replace him.
Local sources reported that the 4th Brigade’s camp, located in the Khurma area of Azan district, witnessed widespread looting by citizens following the sudden withdrawal of the brigade’s troops and its affiliated military checkpoints.
Sources stated that Asil Barasheed left with his forces unexpectedly, leaving a vacuum that facilitated the looting. They noted that the withdrawing forces themselves looted weapons and military equipment before departing for an unknown location.
Security forces and military police have begun deploying in the areas vacated by the brigade in an attempt to secure the camp and all checkpoints in and around the city of Azan, seeking to contain the situation and prevent a total security collapse.
It is worth noting that the dismissed commander had rejected the removal order issued in March, which appointed Saleh Abdulaziz al-Mansouri, an officer from the Giants Forces, as the new brigade commander.
Yesterday, the Public Prosecution issued a mandatory arrest warrant for Barasheed on charges of rebellion. He also faces allegations of storming citizens’ homes in Seiyun during the Southern Transitional Council’s (STC) offensive in Hadramawt.
Barasheed is considered a military leader close to the President of the STC, Aidarous al-Zoubaidi, and reportedly enjoys support from the Governor of Shabwa, Awadh al-Wazir, who is accused by local sources of indirect incitement against implementing the dismissal decision.
The brigade had experienced a sharp internal division; one faction of soldiers aligned with the new commander and stationed themselves at the “Al-Alam” camp north of Ataq, while another group remained with Barasheed inside the Azan camp until today’s withdrawal.
