Militants under the leadership of warlord Tariq Afash, nephew of former Saudi-backed president of Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh, have on Thursday kidnapped an official loyal to the Saudi-led coalition in Taiz province.
According to the sources, the so-called Guards of the Republic unit kidnapped Azzam Radhif, the director of the Information Office of the district of al-Wazi’iyah.
The sources pointed out he was arrested along with Abdullah al-Ghazal, while they were returning from the city of Taiz.
The militants took him to one of its illegal prisons in the district of al-Khokha, Hodeidah governorate.
This kidnapping comes a month after Tariq Afash declared control of the al-Wazi’iyah district and established military headquarters and barracks for his militias.
So far, there has not yet been an official explanation for the abduction, but since Tariq Afash is primarily backed by the United Arab Emirates, the attack could be the latest in a long history of mercenary infighting.
