Qatar-funded spy ring busted in Yemen
Cell members admitted plans to undermine stability
The Shabwani Elite, a military unit operating in the Shabwah Governorate in Yemen, yesterday said it had arrested members of an espionage ring supported by Qatar and Lebanon’s pro-Iran Hezbollah.
“The suspects confessed they had been attempting to undermine the security and stability of the liberated southern provinces, conspiring against the joint resistance forces with the aim of undermining the West Coast Front, and obstructing the progress of the forces to liberate Hodeida from the Iranian-allied Al Houthi militia,” Shabwani Elite said in a statement carried by Sky News TV channel.
The espionage ring was operating under the command of Fadi Baoom and some of the suspects were arrested following a surveillance operation in Azan in Shabwah in southern Yemen, it added.
“The accused in this case have admitted that they had joined Baoom in order to set up a political entity that is opposed to the Arab coalition, the interim council in the south and the legitimate government. Their objective was to undermine security and spread chaos,” the statement said.
The unit added that it had recorded the confessions of the suspects ahead of further legal procedures.
Human Rights Watch yesterday accused Yemen’s Al Houthi militia of hostagetaking, torture and other serious abuses against people in their custody.
The New York-based watchdog said it had documented 16 cases of illegal imprisonment by the Iran-backed insurgents, “in large part to extort money from relatives or to exchange them for people held by opposing forces”.
“Al Houthi officials have treated detainees brutally, often amounting to torture,” HRW said, adding that former detainees described being beaten with iron rods, wooden sticks and assault rifles.
Prisoners were shackled to walls, caned and threatened with rape, it said, noting that hostage-taking “is a serious violation of the laws of war and a war crime”.
“The Al Houthis have added profiteering to their long list of abuses and offences against the people under their control in Yemen,” said HRW Middle East director Sarah Leah Whitson.
“Rather than treat detainees humanely, some Al Houthi officials are exploiting their power to turn a profit through detention, torture and murder.”
Meanwhile, commenting on the ongoing battle for the key port city of Hodeida, Dr Anwar Mohammad Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, tweeted: “Liberating Hodeida is one of the most important means for a solution in Yemen. Changing the reality on the ground is imperative, particularly in light of Al Houthis undermining the political process in Geneva. This is a fact that we keep reiterating because the humanitarian dimension of the crisis is linked to addressing the political aspect.”
UAE hospital
The Yemeni army has said it has brought a special elite force to the outskirts of Hodeida as part of an impeding operation to storm city and tackle Al Houthi militiamen positioned on rooftops of buildings inside the city, army spokesman Brig Abdou Mejali said.
Meanwhile, a hospital funded by the UAE has opened in the Red Sea coast of Yemen. The opening of Al Durayhimi Hospital is part of the development and service projects of the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) to support the health sector.