News - Yemen: The rate of crimes and violations related to the raging conflict between the tools and militias of US-Saudi aggression has increased, a report revealed.

This is a result of the struggle for influence and control between the Saudi-US-Emirati occupation in the occupied southern governorates during the second quarter of 2022 by about 90 per cent compared to the first quarter.

The report issued by the Media Center for the Southern Governorates monitored 2,951 crimes committed during the past three months, at a daily rate of 32, compared to about 1,400 crimes committed during the first quarter of 2022. It attributed this to the clash of Saudi and Emirati interests and agendas in the occupied governorates.

The report clarified that the total number of assassinations and attempted assassinations targeting military, civilian and party leaders and academics amounted to 368 crimes, killing 194 people, of which 147 survived. It pointed out that explosive devices, car bombs, ambushes and live clashes were used in these crimes.

According to the report, the total number of arbitrary arrests reached 256 operations against activists and trade unionists, and 47 crimes of kidnapping, some of which involved women and children. Activists and trade unions were subjected to 79 threats, and 37 raids on citizens' homes in the cities of Aden and Lahj.

The report indicated a significant increase in robbery and extortion crimes, which amounted to 357 crimes against public and private property. As for the exchanged armed ambushes between the occupation militias, in which the Takfiri group participated, they amounted to 231 crimes targeting military convoys, crews, and vehicles, and others whose victims were civilians.

“As a result of the absence of the government, the multiplicity of militias, and the interruption of public supply lines on the roads linking the northern and southern governorates, extortion crimes by force of arms rose to 401 crimes, including 278 crimes against merchants, businessmen, factories, shops and investment companies in a number of southern cities, foremost of which is Aden,” the report said.

The Center monitored 123 crimes of extortion and looting committed by criminal gangs against pedestrians and travelers on the roads of Tur Al Baha and Mudharaba. As a result, a number of innocent citizens were killed and traffic accidents were caused due to direct fire on heavy transport drivers by those gangs that spread extensively on the roads of Lahj - Taiz.

The Media Center recorded for Southern Governorates 124 armed clashes between militias affiliated with the aggression and the occupation, in which light and medium weapons were used, and led to the death and injury of more than 131 people. In addition to seven rapes committed in Aden, Shabwa, Abyan and the West Coast.

The Center also monitored 86 explosions, most of which were carried out in Aden and Shabwa. The operations carried out by Al-Qaeda members with a green light from the Saudi-led aggression amounted to 35 operations that were monitored in Abyan, Shabwa, Lahj, Al-Dhalea and Hadramout.

The number of citizens of the northern governorates who were subjected to identity violations by the militias of the Emirati-backed Southern Transitional Council in Aden and the areas of Yafa and Radfan reached 147 cases.

The report stated that public and private facilities were subjected to 19 attacks. 62 cases of violations were monitored by the Saudi and Emirati forces in Mahra and Socotra, including crimes of displacement that affected the citizens of Abd al-Kuri Island, and the arrest of a number of them.

It explained that 27 crimes of violation and incitement against journalists and the media were monitored, most notably targeting the life of journalist Saber Al-Haidari and his companions with an explosive device, harassment and threats against those close to him.

38 attacks on protests in Aden and Mukalla were monitored, and eight crimes of smuggling money abroad through land, air and sea ports, three of which were officially recognized as being behind the Saudi-backed government's involvement. Ten crimes of torture to death were subjected to detainees and forcibly disappeared in the prisons of militias loyal to the UAE in Lahj, Al-Dhalea, Aden, Shabwa and Hadramout.

The report revealed that the takfiri al-Qaeda group arrested dozens of citizens.

Shabwa governorate ranked first in the list of occupied governorates in terms of security chaos, with 681 crimes and a rate of 23.07 per cent. Aden came in second place with 568 crimes and a rate of 19.24 per cent. Lahj governorate ranked third with 469 crimes or 15.89 per cent, and Al-Dhalae ranked fourth with 433 or 14.67 per cent.

Hadhramout Al-Wadi, the Desert and the Coast, came in fifth place with 423 crimes, or 14.33 per cent, of which 289 crimes were recorded in the Sahel and 134 crimes were recorded in the Valley and the Desert.

Abyan governorate ranked sixth in the list with 286 crimes, representing 9.69 per cent. Al-Mahra governorate recorded 48 crimes, at a rate of 1.6 per cent, and 43 crimes in the Socotra Archipelago, at a rate of 1.45 per cent.

The Media Center of the Southern Governorates indicated that what was monitored was limited only to crimes and violations related to the raging conflict between the tools of aggression and its militias, which is the result of a struggle for influence and control between the countries of the Saudi-Emirati occupation.

The center said that "despite the silence of the so-called Council of Saudi-Emirati tools, on the internal conflicts among the militias it represents, the high rate of military confrontations between these militias confirms the failure of the coalition of aggression to create consensus among the loyal militias."

It added that "a steady escalation of armed confrontations that erupted between these largely conflicting militias was noted in Shabwa Governorate during the second quarter of 2022. It comes as a continuation of the raging power struggle between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi over control of the oil province and American efforts to control liquefied gas in it.”

According to the report, Shabwa ranked first in the list of the total armed confrontations in which a large number of victims went. Clashes were observed between the militias of the Southern Giants and the Shabwa Defense Militia, between the Giants and tribal gunmen in a number of Shabwa areas, and between al-Qaeda members and the Shabwa Defense militias.

The Center expected that the manifestations of security chaos in Wadi Hadramawt will escalate during the coming period in light of the continuing struggle for Saudi-Emirati influence over the oil areas.

The report indicated that 123 crimes committed by criminal gangs were monitored on the roads of the governorates of Lahj, Abyan, Shabwa and Hadramout. It pointed out that 86 crimes were committed in the areas of Tur Al Baha and Al Mudharaba in Lahj, which led to the killing of a number of passing citizens and the looting of the property of dozens of them.

It considered that the crimes that are taking place on the road to Tur al-Baha and Mudharaba come as a result of a hidden geopolitical conflict between the countries of the invasion and occupation, related to the agendas of the occupying countries in Bab al-Mandab.

The report stated that the Aden, Shabwa and Lahj shared the crimes of extortion by force of arms, which affected businessmen, drivers of heavy transport trucks, and expatriates returning from Saudi lands at points affiliated with militias with multiple loyalties and affiliations.

It pointed out that the multiplicity of militias and the absence of the government in the occupied southern governorates exposed a number of production and service companies affiliated with the private sector to blackmail. This caused the halt of investment and service projects and doubled the suffering of citizens due to the sharp deterioration in public services.