Yemen rebels release prominent activist held for nearly 6 months

Hisham Al-Omeisy was detained by Houthi rebels on Aug. 14 in Sanaa.
Updated 15 January 2018
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Yemen rebels release prominent activist held for nearly 6 months

SANAA: Yemen’s Houthi rebels have released a prominent activist nearly six months after detaining him.
International rights groups had appealed for Hisham Al-Omeisy’s release since he was detained on Aug. 14 in Sanaa, the rebel-held capital. Al-Omeisy’s brother, Essam, said he was released Monday and is at home in good health.
A vocal critic of all parties to the devastating civil war, Al-Omeisy has used social media to document the conflict and its toll on civilians. He was held without charge in an undisclosed location.
The Houthis, Shiite rebels allied with Iran, have detained scores of activists, journalists and lawyers. Rights groups have documented dozens of cases of forced disappearances and arbitrary arrests, and say detainees have been tortured to death inside Houthi-run facilities.


Drones downed over Iraq’s Irbil, debris fell near hotel: security forces

A view of the Irbil Arjaan by Rotana hotel, in Irbil, the capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region on March 6, 2026. (AFP)
Updated 07 March 2026
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Drones downed over Iraq’s Irbil, debris fell near hotel: security forces

  • “Debris from one of the downed drones fell” near a hotel and no casualties were reported, they added

IRBIL, Iraq: The US-led coalition in Iraq intercepted on Friday explosive-laden drones over the Kurdish city of Irbil where debris fell near a hotel, Kurdish security forces said.
“The international coalition forces downed four explosive-laden drones over Irbil,” counter-terrorism forces in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region said in a statement.
“Debris from one of the downed drones fell” near a hotel and no casualties were reported, they added.
Earlier, the United States warned that Iranian-backed fighters may target hotels in Kurdistan that are frequented by foreigners.