Ambush kills senior pro-gov't military commander in SE Yemen

19/5/2025 6:26

A senior military commander affiliated with the Yemeni government forces was killed by gunmen in an ambush on Sunday in the southeastern province of Hadramout, a local security official told Xinhua.

The official, who requested anonymity, said Ahmed Abdullah Shathan, a military commander in the Defense Ministry and an influential tribal leader from northern Saada province, was killed along with his bodyguard in Hadramout.

He said a group of masked gunmen intercepted Shathan's vehicle while he was traveling in a remote desert area in Hadramout.

Video footage circulating on social media platforms showed the commander's four-wheel-drive vehicle riddled with bullet holes, and its front seats, where the victims were seated, were blood-soaked.

Shathan was one of the first prominent figures to fight against the Houthi group in Saada and other northern provinces, according to the security official.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which has not been confirmed by authorities yet.

The incident highlighted the fragile security situation in Yemen, where military and pro-government officials remain at risk amidst the ongoing civil conflict and power struggle in the war-ravaged Arab country.

Yemen has been mired in a civil conflict since late 2014 when the Houthi group seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed internationally recognized government out of the capital Sanaa.