DUBAI: Several Yemenis working for the United Nations in the militant-held capital Sanaa have been detained on accusations of spying for Israel, a Houthi security official told AFP Friday, in the latest arrests targeting the world body’s staff.
Earlier this week, 20 UN staff including 15 foreigners were released after being held in their compound since a raid last week-end.
The militants have harassed and detained UN staff and aid workers for years, accusing them of spying, but they have accelerated arrests since the start of the Gaza war.
“Seven United Nations employees, all of them Yemenis, have been arrested from late last night until this afternoon on charges of spying for Israel,” a security source in Sanaa told AFP.
Another Houthi source confirmed UN employees had been arrested but did not specify how many.
The UN did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The internationally recognized Yemeni government in Aden — which opposes the Houthis — condemned the new arrests, labelling them an escalation.
The Houthis, part of Iran’s “axis of resistance” against Israel and the United States, have frequently fired at ships in the Red Sea and at Israeli territory during the two-year Gaza war, claiming solidarity with the Palestinians.
Israel has launched numerous retaliatory strikes, including a major attack in August that killed the Houthis’ premier and nearly half of his cabinet.
Earlier this month, militant leader Abdulmalik Al-Houthi accused UN employees of having a hand in the attack without offering evidence. The UN has rejected the claim.
In mid-September, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Yemen was transferred from Sanaa to the interim capital Aden.
Seven Yemeni UN workers detained in Sanaa: Houthi security source
https://arab.news/vs2hp
Seven Yemeni UN workers detained in Sanaa: Houthi security source
- “Seven UN employees, all of them Yemenis, have been arrested from late last night until this afternoon on charges of spying for Israel,” a source said
- The internationally recognized Yemeni government in Aden condemned the new arrests
Syrian army chief, SDF delegation discuss integration measures
- Iraqi and Syrian security officials told The Associated Press that the US military had begun moving its forces and equipment from the Qasrak base in Syria to Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region
DAMASCUS: Syrian Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Ali Al-Naasan on Sunday met a delegation from the Syrian Democratic Forces to discuss steps for integrating SDF units into several brigades of the Syrian Arab Army.
The Defense Ministry said that the meeting also addressed military deployment and administrative arrangements.
Syria announced on Jan. 29 a comprehensive agreement with the SDF that includes a ceasefire, a phased integration of forces, and the return of state institutions and border crossings to government control.
BACKGROUND
Syria announced on Jan. 29 a comprehensive agreement with the SDF that includes a ceasefire and a phased integration of forces.
The media directorate of the presidency earlier announced that Brig. Gen. Ziad Al-Ayesh has been appointed as a presidential envoy to implement the Jan. 29 agreement.
The directorate said in a statement to SANA that the agreement enhances the state’s presence, removes obstacles and activates government services for citizens.
The deal includes a phased integration of military and administrative bodies, the deployment of security forces into Hasaka and Qamishli, and the state’s administration of civil institutions and border crossings.
The UN Security Council has welcomed the agreement. The council also praised the start of implementation and reaffirmed its commitment to Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In a recent press statement, council members said the agreement must be upheld to ensure civilian protection, unhindered humanitarian access and Syria’s continued recovery.
Meanwhile, US forces were withdrawing from Qasrak base in northeastern Syria, in what appears to be part of a larger drawdown of US forces in the country.
Iraqi and Syrian security officials told The Associated Press that the US military had begun moving its forces and equipment from the Qasrak base in Syria to Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region.
AP journalists in the city of Qamishli in northeast Syria saw a convoy of dozens of trucks carrying military vehicles and equipment on Monday, with military helicopters circling overhead, moving toward the Iraqi border.
A senior Iraqi security official said evacuation of the base had begun Sunday and that on Monday, US forces and military equipment coming from the base crossed into Iraq’s semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region.
A Syrian security official said about 200 soldiers remained at the base on Monday and that work was underway to dismantle military jamming and air defense systems, and the engineering section at the base.
Earlier this month, CENTCOM and Syria’s Defense Ministry announced that US troops had left another base, Al-Tanf, located in eastern Syria near the border with Jordan.
Meanwhile, Syrian authorities are repairing key infrastructure at Deir Ezzor Civil Airport ahead of flights being resumed.
Syria’s General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport announced on Monday that technical and engineering teams were repairing the runway, essential facilities, and rebuilding the airport’s perimeter fence to meet international safety and security standards.
