A doctor detained in a prison run by the Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces in Yemen's Lahj province has died, with local authorities claiming he committed suicide. However, family and local sources are questioning the official account.
Dr. Abdul Hafeez Ahmed Zain Al-Bihani, originally from Yahar district in Lahj, was reportedly killed inside a prison within a camp belonging to the STC's Fifth Brigade. This facility is said to be managed by the Lahj Governorate Police Department.

Sources told "Baran Press" that Dr. Al-Bihani, who worked for the health office in his district, was illegally detained days prior to his death. His detention was allegedly an attempt to pressure his nephew, who was wanted by provincial security in connection with a shooting incident.

After three days of detention, Al-Bihani's family was informed that he had been brought out of the Fifth Brigade camp dead and covered in blood. STC forces claimed he had taken his own life.
Local Officials Call for Investigation
In response to the doctor's death, the local authority in Yahar district, Yafa', held an urgent meeting to discuss the ramifications of the incident. The meeting, attended by District Director Mohdar Alawi, Deputy Security Director Captain Abdul Rab Mohsen, and Director of the Health Office Dr. Fahd Al-Salmi, addressed the circumstances surrounding Al-Bihani's death and called for a thorough investigation.

According to media reports from the directorate, Captain Mohsen recounted the official version of events as communicated by the provincial leadership. This account suggests that Al-Bihani took an officer's weapon, entered another room, and shot himself. The official narrative further stated that Al-Bihani committed suicide in the Fifth Brigade's operations room due to his "deteriorating health and psychological condition and the symptoms of illness he was suffering from."
Attendees at the meeting urged the relevant security and judicial authorities to expedite necessary investigations. They emphasized the "importance of conducting a comprehensive and transparent investigation into the incident and promptly revealing the circumstances."
The differing accounts of Dr. Al-Bihani's death have raised concerns and calls for clarity from local officials and the community.