The Supreme Security Committee, affiliated with the internationally recognized Yemeni government, acknowledged on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, the "kidnapping" of Sheikh and Yemeni army officer Ali Ashal Al-Ja'adani. The committee circulated the names of four suspects to security and military checkpoints for their apprehension.

This decision was made during a meeting held in Aden, the temporary capital of Yemen, chaired by the committee's head and Defense Minister Mohsen Al-Da'ari. The meeting focused on the circumstances surrounding Al-Ja'adani's kidnapping and the measures taken by security agencies to identify the perpetrators and secure the release of the abducted, according to the official Yemeni news agency Saba.

The Security Committee circulated the names of the suspects to be apprehended: Samih Eidrus Al-Norghi, Tamam Mohammed Ghaleb Hassan "Al-Batta," Bakil Mukhtar Mohammed Saad, and Mahmoud Othman Saeed Al-Hindi.

The committee also approved the suspension of the commander of the Counter-Terrorism Forces in Aden, Yisran Al-Maqtri, from his duties pending an investigation. Additionally, the suspects were handed over to Aden security forces, and a joint investigation committee was formed comprising members from Aden security, Abyan security, criminal investigation, the security belt, intelligence, and the counter-terrorism agency.

The Supreme Security Committee further decreed the apprehension of anyone suspected of involvement in any crime and the pursuit of those who have evaded justice. The committee also mandated the public prosecution's oversight of investigations, emphasizing the need for swift completion and referral to the judicial authorities.

According to the agency, the committee affirmed the unification of efforts among security formations and agencies in Aden to achieve the desired results quickly.

The committee reiterated that road closures are not beneficial and do not serve the cause, directing the Interior Minister, the Abyan Governor, the head of the Abyan Security Committee, and the Abyan Security Director to meet with citizens to clarify this point.

Previously, tribes in Abyan had given Aden's security agencies a deadline, expiring today, to reveal the fate of their kidnapped son, Ali Ashal Al-Ja'adani, and apprehend those accused of his abduction.

On June 28, Abyan tribes held a consultative meeting in Aden to discuss the disappearance of their son, Major Ali Ashal Al-Ja'adani, in Aden on June 12.

The tribes threatened to escalate their actions if Al-Ja'adaniwas not released unharmed. They emphasized that the right to retaliate is guaranteed, and options remain open.

They called on the Presidential Leadership Council, the unity government, the Southern Transitional Council, and the leadership of the Arab coalition to intervene urgently to disclose the location of Major Ali Abdullah Ashal Al-Ja'adbani's kidnapping and secure his release.

The tribes claim that Al-Ja'adaniwas kidnapped in Aden on June 12 and his fate remains unknown. They allege that security agencies have not taken any action.

On July 2, military, security, and local authorities in Abyan province declared their support for the tribes' escalating actions to demand the release of Major Ali Ashal Al-Ja'adani, who has been missing in Aden since June 12.

The Abyan Governorate leadership, including local authorities, security leaders, the Abyan Security Belt, and the Abyan military axis, issued a joint statement asserting their refusal to allow any aggression against Abyan tribes under any pretext.

In the statement released by the province's security forces, Abyan's military, security, and local authorities accused Aden's security agencies of delaying the execution of what they described as "high-level orders" to apprehend those accused of kidnapping Major Ali Ashal Al-Ja'adani.

They declared their disavowal of any events starting from the time of the statement's issuance and held accountable anyone who delays the implementation of the highest level's directives.