Aden (South24)

Local media and activists in South Yemen said yesterday evening that two children and a woman were injured, while two other people were killed, as a result of artillery shelling carried out by military units from the Brigade (21 Meca) and the special forces of the Yemeni government, in Nissab district of Shabwa governorate.

Citizens stated that the “Muslim Brotherhood militia” targeted the peoples homes hysterically, in an attempt to storm the city and expel the tribal militants who demanded the extradition of killers belonging to the “special forces”, who had been accused earlier, of killing the young Talal Farid al-Awlaki.

These events come days after violent confrontations in the Jardan district in the same governorate, between Special Forces and local tribes. It killed one of the tribes and the military commander Abd al-Rahman Lakab (brother of the Commander of the Special Forces).

Saudi weapons

"government militias brought heavy weapons to the city, including tanks, artillery and militants, most of them came from North Yemen", a local citizen in Nissab told South24.

"They want to force the tribes by force to accept these violations. The Arab coalition must stop these crimes. They kill us with Saudi weapons", he told.

Pictures released by activists showed Saudi military vehicles captured by the tribes, which were in the possession of the government forces that stormed the Jardan and Nissab districts.

Ahmed Al-Saleh, a prominent southern activist from Shabwa, addressing the Saudis, says: “The weapons and equipment that you sent to confront the Houthis today surround our civilian people in Shabwa. (The weapon) terrified women, wounded children, killed youth and destroyed homes.

إخوتنا واهلنا في القيادة السعودية
يشهد الله اننا معكم وفي صفكم والى جانبكم دائما ولكن..
السلاح والمعدات التي ارسلتم لمواجهة الحوثيين اصبح اليوم يحاصر اهلنا المدنيين في شبوة #نصاب افزع النساء وجرح الاطفال وقتل الشباب ودمر المنازل.
الامر يعود اليكم..

— احمد الصالح (@Ahmedalsaleh_SY) June 14, 2020

Armed militias under the umbrella of legitimacy

The STCs General Department of Foreign Affairs expressed "its condemnation of the repressive measures and grave violations committed by militias and armed groups operating under the umbrella of the Yemeni government in Shabwa Governorate."

"We call on the international community and the Arab coalition countries in particular to assume their responsibilities towards what is going on, and we also call on civil society organizations, human rights and permanent members of the Security Council to stop these brutal attacks and violations against civilians," the Transitional Council said in a statement issued yesterday evening Sunday.

Shabwa governorate has witnessed constant tension between tribes and government forces there, since the latter's takeover of the governorate on August 28, 2019, and the expulsion of the Shabwani elite forces.

A Saudi military vehicle of the Muslim Brotherhood militia, was captured by the tribes in Jardan, Shabwa governorate, June 11, 2020.

The tribes accuse the government forces of the Islah party (the Muslim Brotherhood branch in Yemen) of repeated violations of the tribes, and of carrying out acts of interruption for travelers.

Earlier, the Special Forces killed Saeed Al-Qomishi, Yaslam Habtoor and Talal Farid in the past months. It also emphasizes human rights activists.

Shabwa`s Separation

A statement issued by a tribal meeting of sheikhs in the governorate on June 8th called for the involved`s handover in the killing of Talal Farid al-Awlaki and the change of commanders of the special forces.

The statement called for preventing the use of Shabwa youth in military wars against southern citizens in Abyan. He also called for the separation of Shabwa - as a military zone - from the northern Ma'rib Governorate. The tribes ’statement rejected the local authority’s decision’s exploit in favor of a particular party, in reference to the Yemeni Islah party.

The Yemeni government, which is based in Riyadh, has not commented on these developments. There was also no comment on these events by the Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia.

Saudi forces are present in the city of Ataq, the capital of Shabwa Governorate, which entered the city after the STC`s defeat last August.

Imag: Two children, Abdulaziz Awad Salih Bushams and Hatim Salih Saeed Bushams, wounded by shelling of the Special Forces in Nissab District, Shabwa, June 13, 2020 (activists)