Although state officials have announced that Yemen National Dialogue Conference representatives had achieved what they set out to do: creating sane foundations for Yemen institutional overall and political reconciliations, insecurity and political instability remain a worry, more so in the country southern restive region.
On Sunday, less than a week after a military intelligence officer was shot dead in Lajh province, just north of Aden, local officials confirmed that Taiz’ Police Director Abd el-Wali el-Turkmi was gunned down by militants.
Al-Turkimi was travelling in his vehicle when armed militants launched their attack. With very little to go on so far, it is difficult to establish whether militants aimed to kidnap him or simply execute him. News of his death comes a day after an Iran Commercial Attache was shot dead just outside the Iranian Ambassador’s residence in the southern district of Hadda in the capital, Sana’a.
Because tensions have flared up once again in between Haraki militants (Southern Secessionist Movement) and Sana’a central government, it has been difficult to distinguish which attack has been politically motivated and which has been carried out by al-Qaeda.
With target assassinations having become somewhat of a weapon of choice for all militants, regardless of their affiliations and motivations, realities have gotten evermore murky.
So far no group has claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attack.
With instability and insecurity having reached an all-time in recent weeks, heightened by al-Dhale tragedy last December and outbursts of violence across southern territories, experts have warned that al-Qaeda will look to broker a strategic alliance with disgruntles secessionists against Sana’a, a risk they stress need to be taken under consideration when evaluating risk on the ground.