Latest news with #Radaa
Al Bawaba
8 hours ago
- Al Bawaba
Gunman opens fire inside mosque in Yemen's Al-Bayda, killing over a dozen during prayers
ALBAWABA- In a horrifying act of violence during one of Islam's holiest occasions, a mentally disturbed gunman opened fire inside a mosque in Yemen's Al-Bayda province on Saturday evening, killing more than 12 people and injuring several others. The attack occurred as worshippers were reciting Eid al-Adha chants shortly after sunset prayers, local sources told Yemen Future. The shooting took place at Hammat Okoos Mosque in the village of Qarn Al-Asad, located in the Al-Arsh district of Rada'a city, which is under the control of the Houthi group. According to eyewitnesses, the attacker began his rampage by targeting two young men at a nearby grocery store before storming the mosque and unleashing gunfire on congregants immediately after prayer. فاجعة تهز مدينة #رداع بالبيضاء. مسلح حوثي يرتكب مجزرة جماعية بقتل 17 مواطناً وإصابة العشرات من المصلين داخل مسجد قرية قرن الأسد في مديرية العرش رداع بمحافظة البيضاء اليمنية. — علي ناصر العولقي (@a_n_alawlaqi) June 7, 2025 Among the dead was Ahmed Abdrabbeh Al-Aji, the owner of the grocery store, along with one of his friends from the Rayashiyah area. A 12-year-old boy, known as 'Walad Al-Ansi,' was wounded, along with a qat vendor who was inside the mosque at the time of the attack. Witnesses said the mosque's loudspeakers were still active during the shooting, amplifying the cries of the wounded and sending shockwaves through the neighborhood. The attacker was apprehended roughly an hour and a half later. The injured were transported to Dhamar Hospital, where medical officials warned the death toll could rise due to critical injuries. This tragedy adds to the mounting toll Yemenis have endured in a country shattered by a decade-long conflict. Since the Houthis seized power in September 2014, followed by a Saudi-led military intervention in March 2015, Yemen has faced relentless war and foreign interference. The conflict has devastated the country's economy, fractured its society, and left millions struggling to survive under unbearable humanitarian conditions.
France 24
3 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
Libyans fear return of deadly violence as Eid begins
With celebrations set for Friday, Randa al-Mahmoudi, a schoolteacher in her thirties, said she was trying to keep life steady for her three children. "We try, at least for the children, to do things as usual, without thinking about what might happen," she said, shopping in a supermarket in Siyahiya, a western district of Tripoli. "Otherwise, we can't live." Despite "everything looking normal in Tripoli with traffic jams, open shops and schools, and flights operating," Mahmoudi said, she "can feel something is off". Nureddin al-Shaouesh, a 48-year-old radio technician, said his children would "tremble when they hear wedding fireworks", thinking they were gunshots in the capital. Another local, Hamza al-Ahmar, 39, wondered: "What will happen after Eid? That's the question on everyone's mind." The Libyan capital was rocked in May by several days of fighting between rival armed groups. The 444 Brigade, aligned with the Tripoli-based government, fought several powerful rival factions in control of various areas of the city. Libya is split between the UN-recognised government in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, and a rival administration in the east. The North African country has remained deeply divided since the 2011 NATO-backed revolt that toppled and killed longtime leader Moamer Kadhafi. Fragile truce The clashes were sparked by the killing of Abdelghani al-Kikli, the leader of the SSA armed group, by the 444 Brigade, which later took on another rival faction, Radaa. The fighting came after Dbeibah announced a string of executive orders seeking to dismantle armed groups that he later said had "become stronger than the state". A fragile truce ensued, but many Tripolitans remained on edge after the clashes, which killed at least eight people, according to the United Nations. "On the surface, things are calm," said Fathi Shibli, a 64-year-old retired teacher. "But I wouldn't say it's a return to normal. People are afraid of new fights because the root of the problem is yet to be resolved." The area once under SSA control has since been taken over by the 444 Brigade, which claimed to have discovered a mass grave there containing dozens of bodies. On Wednesday, UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Turk raised alarm over "gross human rights violations uncovered at official and unofficial detention facilities run by the Stabilisation Support Apparatus (SSA) force in Tripoli". 'We'll see what happens' The UN support mission in Libya said "10 charred bodies" were found at the SSA headquarters in Abu Salim, its former stronghold in the capital, while "a total of 67 bodies in refrigerators" were discovered at two local hospitals. A burial site was also reportedly found in Tripoli's zoo, formerly managed by the SSA. "We'll see what happens," said Mahmoudi. "There's a new reality in Tripoli after Gheniwa's death and the tensions with Radaa." Hundreds of people -- mostly from the Radaa-controlled Souq al-Joumaa district -- have protested for the past three Fridays in the capital to demand Dbeibah's resignation. "I want him gone, but with the current chaos and a rival government in the East watching closely, toppling this government would be a mistake," said Ahmar. Shibli said the issue was beyond the UN-backed premier, citing inefficiencies across the board: "Dbeibah's departure won't fix the crisis. He's just one part of the problem." Presidential and parliamentary elections under UN supervision were scheduled for December 2021, but they were indefinitely postponed due to unresolved disputes between the country's eastern and western powers.
Libya Observer
7 days ago
- Politics
- Libya Observer
Libyan rights activist: Mitiga prison visit was 'theatrical,' involved suspicious figures
Libyan human rights activist and head of the 'Victims for Human Rights Organization,' Nasser Al-Hawari, has criticized a recent visit organized by the Mitiga Prison administration and the National Human Rights Institution (NHRI), describing it as a staged event orchestrated by the Deterrence Apparatus and the NHRI. In a Facebook post, Al-Hawari accused the NHRI of colluding with the Deterrence Apparatus to whitewash its image before the public. He also alleged that the visit included participation by suspicious individuals, notably NHRI member Adel Hammouda, whom he accused of supporting the Radaa (Deterrence) Apparatus. Al-Hawari claimed Hammouda had previously appeared in a protest in Ain Zara reading a statement against the Government of National Unity. Al-Hawari further revealed that a man named Mohamed Sakhr accompanied the NHRI delegation during their prison tour and inmate visits, despite reportedly having been sentenced to 14 years in prison for running an alcohol factory. According to Al-Hawari, Sakhr was later pardoned by Radaa chief Abdelraouf Kara and now heads the inmate affairs office at Mitiga Prison. Al-Hawari claimed this was part of a broader trend of integrating convicted criminals into the apparatus in exchange for reduced sentences. He called on the NHRI to refrain from exploiting the cases of detainees and the unjustly imprisoned for political or institutional gain. The NHRI had earlier announced that its team, alongside the Human Rights Committee of the High Council of State, conducted an inspection visit to the Tripoli Main Correction and Rehabilitation Facility and Mitiga Prison — an initiative it described as the first of its kind. Tags: Human Rights Mitiga prison
Observer
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Observer
African Union urges permanent ceasefire in Libya
ADDIS ABABA: The African Union called for a permanent ceasefire in Libya on Saturday after deadly clashes in the capital earlier this month and demonstrations demanding the prime minister's resignation. The latest fighting in the conflict-torn North African country pitted an armed group aligned with the Tripoli-based government against factions it has sought to dismantle, resulting in at least eight dead, according to the United Nations. Despite a lack of a formal ceasefire, the clashes mostly ended last week, with the Libya Defence Ministry saying this week that efforts towards a truce were "ongoing". On Saturday, the AU's Peace and Security Council condemned the recent violence, calling for an "unconditional and permanent ceasefire". In a statement on X, the council urged "inclusive, Libyan-led reconciliation", adding that it "appeals for no external interference". Libya is split between the UN-recognised government in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, and a rival administration in the east. The country has remained deeply divided since the 2011 Nato-backed revolt. The clashes were sparked by the killing of an armed faction leader by a group aligned with Dbeibah's government — the 444 Brigade, which later fought a third group, the Radaa force that controls parts of eastern Tripoli and the city's airport. It came after Dbeibah announced a string of executive orders seeking to dismantle Radaa and dissolve other Tripoli-based armed groups but excluding the 444 Brigade. — AFP
Arab News
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
AU urges permanent ceasefire in Libya after clashes
ADIS ABABA: The African Union called for a permanent ceasefire in Libya on Saturday after deadly clashes in the capital earlier this month and demonstrations demanding the prime minister's resignation. The latest fighting in the conflict-torn North African country pitted an armed group aligned with the Tripoli-based government against factions it has sought to dismantle, resulting in at least eight dead, according to the United Nations. Despite a lack of a formal ceasefire, the clashes mostly ended last week, with the Libya Defense Ministry saying this week that efforts toward a truce were 'ongoing.' On Saturday, the AU's Peace and Security Council condemned the recent violence, calling for an 'unconditional and permanent ceasefire.' In a statement on X, the council urged 'inclusive, Libyan-led reconciliation,' adding that it 'appeals for no external interference.' Libya is split between the UN-recognized government in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, and a rival administration in the east. The country has remained deeply divided since the 2011 NATO-backed revolt that toppled and killed longtime leader Muammar Qaddafi. The clashes were sparked by the killing of an armed faction leader by a group aligned with Dbeibah's government — the 444 Brigade, which later fought a third group, the Radaa force that controls parts of eastern Tripoli and the city's airport. It came after Dbeibah announced a string of executive orders seeking to dismantle Radaa and dissolve other Tripoli-based armed groups but excluding the 444 Brigade.
