Aden (south24)

The Security Belt Forces announced success of a prisoner exchange operation between southern forces and the Islamist-backed forces in Shabwa Governorate, South Yemen.

According to a statement published by the Media Center of the SBF, on Friday, 12 prisoners from the southern forces, who were being held in a government forces prison in Shabwa, were released, in exchange for five prisoners who were arrested during the recent war in Abyan.

The released prisoners were transported in a military convoy to the headquarters of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), where they were received by senior leaders in the council.

"One of those released was taken to hospital, for treatment, and he is in critical condition as a result of the ill-treatment he was subjected to in the militia prisons of Shabwa," said the statement.

This is the second prisoner exchange operation between the two sides, after the success of a previous operation, during which 200 people were released in October 2020.

In light of the security developments in the governorate of Abyan, a meeting convened by the STC's Presidium and security leaders on Saturday warned of a "plan to declare war on South."

"The ongoing attacks by the Muslim Brotherhood militia against the Security Belt forces in Ahwar and Khobar [in Abyan] aim to impose a new reality on the ground in the interest of the terrorist forces to enable them to move and access freely to the coast," according to the council’s official website.

The meeting called on the southern forces to be ready to face these challenges, take the necessary measures, and keep all possibilities open, according to the website.

Read Also: Are the Houthis and pro-Islamists Hadi forces coordinating with AQAP?

South24 published previous reports, warning of the escalation of terrorist groups' activity in areas under the control of government forces loyal to Islamists in Abyan and Shabwa.

Two days ago, Al-Qaeda (AQAP) claimed responsibility for the attack that targeted the headquarters of the UAE forces in Balhaf area of Shabwa governorate. It also claimed for two separate attacks in Abyan, against pro-STC Security Belt forces, which killed 13 people and wounded others.

- South24 for News & Studies

- Image: Acting Chairman of the STC (Nasser Al-Khubbaji) receives released prisoners, Friday, April 09, 2021 (STC)