South Yemen: Government forces recruit al-Qaeda fighters, including a prominent leader

The security belt forces of the Southern Transitional Council in Abyan Governorate revealed on April 19,2020, that terrorist members from al-Qaeda were recently joined to the forces of the Third Brigade, a presidential protection of the Yemeni government, which is located in the Shokra region of Abyan Governorate, south Yemen. This brigade is commanded by General Luay al-Zamki.

A security statement published by the Moral Guidance of the Security Belt says that the government forces "have reinforced their ranks in Shokra with many al-Qaeda terrorist members, including prominent al-Qaeda leader Mustafa Mahdi."

The statement said that Mahdi was assigned "to lead a battalion in the 3rd Brigade presidential protection."

The security belt released an image believed to be of al Qaeda leader Mustafa Mahdi, wearing government military clothing.

"The intelligence sources revealed that the terrorist-backed third brigade of presidential protection is planning to launch suicide operations on the positions of the southern forces," the statement said.

The previously detected al-Qaeda members were involved in "hostilities, assassinations and the manufacture of explosives," the statement added

"We have a long list of the names of the terrorists who were recruited in the third brigade presidential protection after their escape during the recent campaigns, which were launched by the security belt forces backed by the forces of the first brigade support in Mudaih district of Abyan province." The statement said.

These developments come after a recent security tension in the Abyan and Shabwa region, in South Yemen, between government forces controlled by the Islamic Islah Party and the forces of the Southern Transitional Council.

Governmental military sources threatened to storm Aden. And it refused, until yesterday, Saturday, the calm and mediation efforts led by a military committee, which seeks to bring peace there and resume the implementation of the terms of the Riyadh agreement.

The Southern Transitional Council earlier welcomed calm efforts.

The Southern Transitional Council and the Yemeni government had signed on November 5, 2019 the Riyadh agreement under Saudi patronage.

The most important clauses of which were to form a 50-50 government between South and North, the return of the Yemeni government to Aden and the withdrawal of the military forces that had come to the cities of South Yemen since August 1, 2019.