Saudi Plans to Hand Over Southern Yemeni Sea Crossing to Al-Qaeda Terrorists, Official Warns

The deputy provincial governor of Abyan, Saleh al-Junaidi, on Thursday said that foreign terrorists and militants have been transferred on at least two occasions to the shores of Abyan – the last of which took place just two days ago, Yemen’s official Saba news agency reported.

Junaidi noted that the Saudi-led alliance is actually seeking to provide al-Qaeda terrorists with a safe haven off the coast of Ahwar district.

He said the Takfiri elements have been transferred from Syria to Abyan to join the ranks of Saudi mercenaries in Yemen.

Dozens of foreign terrorists have been transferred by al-Qaeda members to border areas in the provinces of Abyn and al-Bayda, specifically to terrorist strongholds in the al-Sawma'ah and Dhi Na'im districts of Bayda, Junaidi noted.

He then charged the militants of the al-Qaeda-affiliated Salafist Islah Party with facilitating the docking and loading of unidentified ships off the coast of Abyan province on multiple occasions during the past few weeks.

The Yemeni official then warned against a plan to surrender the province to terrorist organizations in the wake of heavy defeats by Saudi-led coalition forces on various fronts, particularly in Yemen’s central province of Ma’rib.

He finally called on freedom-loving residents of the province to expose the movements of terrorist organizations in their regions, and to stand up against establishment of new military camps as well as recruitment and training centers there.

Three Yemeni civilians killed in Saudi shelling

Separately, at least three civilians were killed when Saudi border guards shelled a residential neighborhood in Yemen’s mountainous northwestern province of Sa’ada.

Local sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Arabic-language al-Masirah television network that Saudi forces fired projectiles at al-Raqou area in the Monabbih district of the province at Thursday dawn.

The sources added that three civilians were killed in the shelling, while four others sustained injuries.