Barran Press
On Saturday, June 22, 2024, a security operation led by the Southern Transitional Council (STC) clashed with residents in the Al-Rajaa' area of Lahj Governorate (southern Yemen), following an attempt to raid homes in pursuit of wanted individuals.
A local source in the Tur Al-Bahah district of Lahj told Barran Press that the security forces, acting on orders from STC leader Nabil Al-Mushoushi, commander of the 3rd Support and Reinforcement Brigade stationed in Aden, attempted to storm homes in Al-Rajaa' in the Sab'a area.
The source reported that residents repelled the security operation, forcing the soldiers to flee after seizing an armored vehicle and a military pickup truck belonging to the force.
The source claimed that Al-Mushoushi did not coordinate with security agencies in Lahj and hired individuals known as "Fahad Al-Marfedi and Yasser Al-Somali" to raid Al-Rajaa'.
The source attributed the security operation to a search for wanted individuals, who are relatives of a young woman who was allegedly targeted for kidnapping in the Bir Ahmad area of Aden days prior. The alleged kidnapping attempt sparked clashes between the Aqrab tribe and Al-Mushoushi's forces, resulting in casualties.
On Monday, June 18, tribal groups from the Aqrab tribe in Bir Ahmad, on the northern outskirts of Aden, engaged in clashes with forces affiliated with the 3rd Support and Reinforcement Brigade.
The clashes resulted in the death of a nephew of the brigade commander, Nabil Al-Mushoushi, and the injury of another. The deceased, Abd-Al-Alim Al-Radhami Al-Mushoushi, was accused of attempting to kidnap a girl and threatening her family who reside in the same area.
Following the incident, STC forces launched a campaign of abductions targeting Aqrab tribe members and surrounded Bir Ahmad. However, tribal mediation successfully withdrew the STC forces from the checkpoints they had established and handed them over to other police and security belt forces.