10 Killed in Renewed Fighting between Yemeni Army, Abyan Forces

The Yemeni army, affiliated with the legitimate government, on Friday, renewed battles with the forces of the Southern Transitional Council, in Abyan Governorate, southern Yemen.

Three days after the Arab coalition deployed observers from the Saudi "duty" force in the contact areas between the two parties, fierce  battles took place between the Yemeni army and the forces of the Transitional Council in the axes of Sheikh Salem and Al-Tara, east of Zinjibar district, the center of Abyan governorate, according to sources.

The battles, during in which tanks and artillery were used, resulted in the death of more than 10 people on both sides, including the brother of the commander of the Third Brigade, Presidential Protection Haitham al-Zamki, and a company commander in the Transitional Council forces named Salem al-Shabhi, while about 20 on both sides were wounded.

The linking road of the cities of Zinjibar and Shakra was cut off, and dozens of cars were piled on both sides of it due to the ongoing battles since the morning.

It was announced last Monday that at least 13 Yemeni army and Transitional Council forces were killed and wounded, in clashes that included mutual bombing between the two sides on the al-Turiya front, east of Zinjibar.

The renewed confrontations between the two parties have begun since the announcement of Saudi Arabia on July 29, a mechanism to accelerate the implementation of the Riyadh Agreement signed between the Yemeni government and the Southern Transitional Council on November 5 last year.

The agreement included " maintaining the ceasefire and de-escalation between the legitimate government and the Southern Transitional Council, " and “the forces of the two parties in Abyan should be separated and return to their previous positions.”