Infighting in southern Yemen exposes fragility of leadership council
Despite the existence of Yemen’s new leadership in Aden, fierce combat has wreaked havoc in Shabwa province in southern Yemen.
Deadly infighting rocked Yemen’s Shabwa province over the last few days, with dozens of deaths and injuries, amid tensions between pro-government forces in Attaq, the capital of Shabwa, an oil-rich province in southern Yemen.
On July 19, the commander of the Special Security Forces, Brig. Gen. Abd Rabbo Lakab, survived an assassination attempt in Attaq. Two of his bodyguards died in the attack, but the commander escaped unscathed. He accused UAE-backed southern separatist forces of orchestrating the assault.
Tensions rose rapidly when Shabwa Governor Awad bin Al Wazir sacked Lakab on Saturday. Al Wazir accused the military units under Lakab of mutiny and warned that those flouting the orders would bear the consequences. The governor said the soldiers are affiliated with Yemen’s Islah Party, an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood.
The conflict betrays the fragility of Yemen’s new leadership in Aden and the disharmony among the pro-government forces fighting a common foe: the Iran-backed Houthi group.
