Yemeni army forces in Taiz continued, for the second consecutive day, their campaign to contain security chaos in liberated parts of the city and to drive out all members of armed and outlawed groups, including al-Qaeda and ISIS.
The campaign was launched in wake of the death of a Lebanese employee at the International Committee of the Red Cross at the hands of the militias. The forces had also launched a security campaign to retake full control of Taiz and restore it to the internationally-recognized government’s authority.
A Lebanese ICRC employee was gunned down in his car in Taiz over the weekend.
The illegal groups refused to relinquish their control of official centers to authorities, prompting Taiz Governor Dr. Amin Mahmoud to meet with the pro-legitimacy political forces to discuss measures to salvage the situation.
He stressed the importance of unifying all political forces on the ground to form a united front to confront the Iran-backed Houthi militias.
In addition, he met a number of representatives of the relief organizations operating in the province, reviewing humanitarian assistance reports.
Governor Mahmoud stressed the need to “boost confidence in legitimate authorities across the spectrum, as the state is the sole protector and guarantor for all Yemenis,” reported the Yemeni news agency Saba.
He called for militias to hand over all state institutions so they are effectively put back to work. He called for the integration of all armed factions into the national army, so that it remains the sole armed force in the area and official security establishment.
