Aden (South24) 

The Aden Criminal Court sentenced four people to death today after convicting them of carrying out the assassination of Major General Thabet Jawas, one of the most prominent military leaders in South Yemen, in March 2022.

A judicial source said that the Specialized Criminal Court, headed by Judge Yahya Mohammed Al-Saeedi, also sentenced a fifth defendant to ten years in prison and confiscated the seized items related to the case.

Amjad Khaled Farhan Al-Qahtani, one of the main convicts, was tried in absentia as a fugitive from justice. Amjad Khaled is a former commander of the pro-Yemeni government Transport Brigade and accused of involvement in several deadly attacks and bombings, including an assassination attempt on the Governor of Aden in October 2021.

The same court had issued a death sentence against Amjad Khaled and six of his aides last May for carrying out two separate bombings that targeted the gate of Aden airport and the convoy of the Governor of Aden, killing 11 civilians and wounding more than 28 others.

Major General Jawas, known for his role in military operations against the Houthi militia, was assassinated on March 23, 2022, in a car bomb explosion north of Aden, that also claimed the life of his son and his escorts.

The authorities in Aden accuse Amjad Khaled of receiving financial and logistical support from the Houthi group based in Sanaa. Confessions broadcast by the security services indicate links between the terrorist cell that carried out the assassination and funding sources linked to the Houthis.