A traffic police officer was shot by armed assailants in central Taiz city on Thursday, raising concerns among local observers about a potential resurgence of targeted assassinations in the war-torn governorate.

Local sources informed Barran Press that Malek Al-Razqi, an assistant officer in the Traffic Police Department, was ambushed and killed by unknown gunmen in Al-Kawthar neighborhood while returning home.

A security source within the Taiz Police Department confirmed to Barran Press the arrest of the main suspect in the officer's killing. Details regarding the suspect's identity were not immediately disclosed.

The assassination sparked strong reactions on social media, with activists calling for swift justice and measures to control the proliferation of unregulated weapons in the city.

Activists also cautioned against a possible return of politically motivated killings, pointing fingers at alleged sleeper cells linked to the Iran-backed Houthis and other extremist groups, accusing them of attempting to destabilize the governorate.