Aden: Second assassination of Yemen security official in 48 hours

Unknown gunmen have reportedly killed a second security official in Yemen’s southern port city of Aden yesterday according to local sources.

“Two masked gunmen on a motorbike opened fire at Salem Lahtal, the head of the Criminal Investigation Department in the Al-Arish police force, as he passed near the mosque in Khor Maksar district,” reported Al-Masirah, adding that one of the sources said Lahtal was killed instantly whilst the perpetrators fled the scene.

READ: Yemen senior official assassinated in Aden by gunmen

The assassination comes less than 48 hours after a similar operation targeted the director of the Criminal Investigation Agency Major Salah Al-Hujaili – who was appointed by the Saudi-led coalition – in front of his home in the Mansoura district.

Following the killing of Al-Hujaili, southern Yemeni writer Wadah Bin Atayyh accused the Riyadh-backed government of being behind the spate of assassinations in the city. “100 days since the expulsion of Hadi’s government, we have not heard of any assassinations and days after they returned back, the assassinations returned to Aden,” he tweeted.

According to UN reports, between 2015 and 2019, there have been more than 100 assassinations in the south of Yemen.

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