Gunmen raid office of prominent daily in Yemen’s Aden

By Fuad Musaad

ADEN, Yemen (AA) - Unknown gunmen reportedly stormed the office of a prominent Yemeni daily in the coastal city of Aden -- which currently serves as the country’s interim capital -- before abducting several employees on Friday morning.

According to a statement issued by the independent Al-Shomou Foundation, gunmen raided the office of the foundation’s Akhbar al-Youm newspaper in Aden’s northern Dar Saad district.

The statement goes on to allege that the gunmen had abducted a number of staff members, who were taken to an unknown location.

No group has claimed responsibility for the alleged abductions.

In early March, the Al-Shomou Foundation’s headquarters were similarly attacked -- and its print houses torched -- by unidentified perpetrators.

Following that attack, the foundation suspended publication of a number of its periodicals, including Akhbar al-Youm.

The city of Aden, which Yemen’s pro-Saudi government has used as an interim headquarters since Houthi rebels captured capital Sanaa in 2014, is currently under the control of forces supported and trained by the United Arab Emirates.

According to some Yemeni government sources, who insisted on anonymity, these UAE-backed forces are operating outside their mandate and outside the control of Yemen’s Aden-based government.

Impoverished Yemen has remained in a state of disarray since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including Sanaa.

The conflict escalated one year later when Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies launched a wide-ranging air campaign aimed at reversing Houthi gains in Yemen and shoring up the pro-Saudi government.