Islah Party militants havr kidnapped 20 members of the so-called “Shabwah Elite” militia, which is affiliated with the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), in the Radhom area in Shabwah province on Monday, a local source reported on Tuesday.
According to the sources, Islah militants, led by Abdrabbuh Lakaab, have imposed a suffocating siege on the port of Balhaf, amid military tension that can explode into full-scale armed clashes at any moment.
The sources confirmed that the STC attempted to bring military equipment by force of arms into the port, which has been under its control since the second half of 2016.
They pointed out that the UAE-backed militias deployed on the walls of the Balhaf facility, in preparation for any military attack.
The Islah militants have already sent military reinforcements and created new sites of control in front of the gate of the Balhaf facility, according to the sources