Yemen: Kidnapping of a tribal sheikh threatens to explode the situation between the Al-Hada tribes and the Houthi militia.

Arab Sea Newspaper - News Updates

Arabian Sea - Yemen - Follow-ups: The Houthi group kidnapped Sheikh Ali bin Ali Sharhan, one of the most prominent figures of the Al-Hada tribe and head of the Yemen Workers' Union branch in Dhamar Governorate, in a move that sparked widespread anger within tribal and union circles. According to local sources, Houthi militants took Sheikh Sharhan to one of the group's prisons in the city of Dhamar, without clarifying the reasons for the arrest or leveling any official charges against him. This incident comes as part of an escalating campaign of kidnappings carried out by the militia against social and union figures in areas under its control, according to "Mareb Press." In the same context, dozens of members of the Al-Hada tribe staged a protest in front of the Dar Al-Diyafah building in Dhamar, demanding the immediate release of Sheikh Sharhan and the restoration of his reputation, holding the group responsible for his physical and psychological safety. This coincided with escalating tensions in Al-Hada district, where the area witnessed violent clashes between tribal gunmen and Houthi forces, resulting in deaths and injuries on both sides, amid increasing calls for tribal mobilization and escalation against the group.