Revealing the threads of partnership: Al-Islah and Al-Qaeda... renewed terrorism targeting the security of Shabwa

English - Sunday 10 September 2023 الساعة 04:27 pm
Shabwa, NewsYemen, exclusive:

Day after day, many threads of cooperation and the close relationship between the Brotherhood in Yemen and the terrorist organizations that have recently resumed carrying out terrorist operations against the southern forces in the governorates of Shabwa and Abyan, in the south of the country, are unfolding.

Over the past years; The southern forces made great efforts to confront all the terrorist plans led by Al-Qaeda with the support of the Houthi militias and the Muslim Brotherhood. During the “East Arrows” and “South Arrows” operations in Abyan and Shabwa governorates, many facts were revealed that confirmed the close connection between the evil trio in Yemen.

Recently, the Southern Shabwa Defense Forces managed to overthrow terrorist leaders disguised within society, one of whom is a prominent member of the Islah Party, the local wing of the Muslim Brotherhood in Yemen. The forces revealed shocking details about the close relationship and the great role played by the Brotherhood in facilitating terrorist operations and the movements of al-Qaeda elements to target the security and military forces in the Shabwa regions.

According to information published by the Shabwa Defense Forces, the two leaders, Ahmed Mubarak Al-Khader Al-Dayani and Ahmed Mohsen Al-Jaab Baawadah, were arrested in a successful qualitative operation that was carried out after monitoring and following up on the cells of terrorist organizations inside the areas of Shabwa. During preliminary investigations with them, information was revealed about a series of terrorist operations against the security and military forces in Shabwa Governorate, which led to the martyrdom of dozens of heroic soldiers from Shabwa Governorate.

Disappeared items

The investigations also revealed important information about dangerous elements affiliated with the organization, hidden among society, including the so-called Saddam Hassan Mujareb Al-Sulaimani, alias Abu Al-Hassan Al-Sulaimani, who is a member of the Yemeni Islah Party and is considered one of the most important terrorist elements that the organization relies on to facilitate the movements of elements, deliver explosive devices, and monitor the movements of defense forces. Shabwa and the coalition forces transferred the organization’s members from the Khoura area to Al-Musaina, Sadr Baras and other areas.

According to preliminary information in the investigations, it was proved that Al-Suleimani was involved in transporting explosive devices and ammunition and storing them in his home, and then the process of delivering them to the sleeping elements of the organization in the Al-Musina’a area in the Al-Saeed Directorate for use against the Shabwa Defense Forces. In addition, providing the organization's elements with food, clothing, and items used in the manufacture and detonation of IEDs.

According to the confessions made by the two captured al-Qaeda leaders, Saddam al-Suleimani is the most important hidden actor behind the organization's attacks against the Shabwa Defense Forces in the Musina'a area, which led to martyrs and injuries.

A statement issued by the Shabwa Defense Forces indicated that the so-called Saddam Al-Suleimani was arrested on August 29, 2023, near his home, and the report of the preliminary investigations was opened against him. In it, he admitted his involvement in working for the terrorist organization since 2020. According to Al-Sulaimani’s statements, he confirmed his joining the organization through the leader Abu Awad Al-Tawsali, in addition to his involvement in all the actions carried out by the organization, including transporting members, monitoring forces, transporting packages and ammunition, and others.

Brotherhood desperate

The Islah Brotherhood Party ignored the arrest of one of its prominent members in Shabwa Governorate, and sought to deny the accused Saddam Soleimani’s affiliation to the party or all the actions he had undertaken in favor of strengthening the relationship with the terrorist organization. The Brotherhood and party leaders and their media continued to ignore talking about the man after the facts reported by the security authorities in the first days of the arrest process and the dangerous confessions made by the field leaders who were arrested in the governorate.

On September 4, Brotherhood leader Saddam Al-Sulaimani was transferred to the Authority Hospital in the city of Ataq after feeling abdominal pain as a result of previous illnesses from which he was suffering. He was taken to the hospital by the security authorities and underwent medical examinations that showed he had chronic diseases, namely kidney failure and weak heart muscle. He explained that the man was admitted to the hospital, but his health condition was bad and deteriorating, so he was transferred to the intensive care unit at the Authority Hospital until he died.

Following the death of the accused, the Brotherhood leaders, through their media outlets, sought to exploit the death incident in order to direct a frantic campaign targeting the Shabwa Defense Forces and to undermine their achievements in fighting terrorism and extremism through false and malicious accusations.

Shabwa Defense Forces denied these accusations and issued a clarification to public opinion to thwart any Brotherhood plans to exploit the death of Soleimani. The forces confirmed, in a statement issued by them, that regardless of the actions carried out by the terrorist Soleimani, the forces categorically deny that his death was due to torture as promoted on social media, stressing that they are in the process of publishing the confessions of the aforementioned terrorist elements in audio and video to inform the public about the results of the investigations. And the names and photos of the organization’s elements, which are active in some areas of Shabwa governorate and carry out operations targeting its people.

The Shabwa Defense Forces reiterated that it provided dozens of martyrs in the war against the terrorist organization and will continue to fight it until it is eliminated and Shabwa province is cleansed of it. The forces called on the people of Shabwa and its tribes to take a clear and firm stance towards these gangs, which take some areas as a hotbed and a starting point for their hostile activities, and harbor elements from the northern governorates to kill the people of Shabwa in cold blood.

Shabwa forces vowed to deal firmly with those who prove their cooperation or complacency or facilitate the movements of the organization's elements, and that they will pursue them and bring them to justice.