Separatist leader says Special Forces try to storm his house

By Nasser Arrabyee/02/04/2010


The former Jihadist and prominent leader of the separatist southern movement, Tarik Al Fadhli accused special forces of trying to storm his palace in Zinjubar city where calm prevailed for more than one month after a deal between him and the Sana'a central government.

Al Fadhli, the most controversial leader because of his past as a Jihadist in Afghanistan, said, in a statement sent to media, Special Forces tried to storm his house on Thursday by using ladders.

"We were surprised at the dawn of Thursday, April 1, 2010, by seeing special forces attempting to storm our house by using ladders, if it had not been for the care of Allah, and vigilance of the people of the city of Zinjubar, bad consequences would have happened," said the statement.



"We agreed with the mediation committee chaired by Sheikh Awadh bin Mohammed Al Awlaki, sheikh of the sheikhs of Awlakis in Shabwah, on a two-month truce starting from the beginning of March, until the end of April, for saving blood, we had to take down the flags of our southern nation, and remove the slogans of our peaceful movement and pictures of our martyrs, we did all that to prevent any chance for the forces of evil who were preparing to turn the province of Abyan and all areas of the south to rivers of blood."

Al Fadhli considered the alleged attempt as a violation of the truce between him and the government.


Sources from Abyan, said that clashes happened Thursday between Al Fadhli supporters and the security forces who were trying to put the flag of the unified Yemen in the areas around his palace.