At least four killed in semi-war supported by defected general in Taiz

By Nasser Arrabyee, 16/07/2011

The yemeni government accused the opposition parties of planning to assassinate senior security officials in the city of  Taiz where  a high ranking security official was killed Friday by armed tribesmen who try to  control the city.

Night operations and sporadic clashes and shellings are continuing between   security forces and armed opposition tribesmen supported by defected military commanders in the central province of Taiz.


Three people at least were killed and 10 others injured when the government troops shelled the house of the defected military commander Sadeq Ali Sarhan in As-Salam zone in the city of Taiz.

 One of those killed was the son of the commander Sarhan, Abdul Rahman, according to  one of the relatives.

Sarhan is the commander of the air defense at the first  armored division of the defected general Ali Muhsen.

Sarhan, who is originally from Taiz,was sent a few days ago  by the defected general Ali Muhsen to help the armed opposition tribal leaders who  are in almost a war with the government forces since the Taiz sit-in Square was crushed early last June.
 
Sheikh Hamoud Al Mekhlafi, Islamist, and sheikh Sultan Al Samee, socialist, are the most famous and   prominent two tribal leaders who lead groups of armed tribesmen against the government forces in the city of Taiz.

Heavy and medium-sized weapons was sent from Ali Muhsen in Sanaa camouflaged with  normal  luggage, according to security sources.

Muhsen  supports the armed opposition tribesmen loyal to his Islamist party in many places outside the capital Sanaa like Arhab, Nehm,and Taiz, with the aim of  weakening  the most-highly qualified forces of the republican guards, led by the eldest son of President Saleh, Ahmed Ali.

Separately, the  security director of Sharab Rawna,Ahmed Razaz Mudhesh was killed and three of his bodyguards were injured when  armed opposition tribesmen smuggling weapons to the city of Taiz, clashed with them.

The opposition tribesmen were riding a car laden with weapons and heading to Taiz,in the area of Al Duaisah where the security forces followed them but they refused to stop, according to independent tribesman from the area.
 
A security official said these developments come  in the framework of an escalation of the opposition.
" the opposition in Taiz has an escalation plan to kill the security officials," the unnamed security official was quoted by the state-run news agency ad saying.