Mr. Ali Abdullah Al-Kathiri, acting president of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), chairman of the National Assembly, confirmed the Assembly's condemnation and rejection of all kidnapping and banditry acts, foremost of which is the kidnapping of Lieutenant Colonel Ali Ashaal Al-Jaadani and attempts to incite zone-based tensions and political exploitation of this issue by those seeking to undermine the South and the cause of its people.
It came during a meeting with the Abyan Governorate bloc in the Assembly held on Thursday in the presence of Mr. Abdul Nasser al-Ja'ari, a member of the STC's Presidium; Mr. Isam Abdo Ali, Deputy Chairman of the Assembly, and Mr. Ahmed Al-Rabizi, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Advisors in the STC.

Mr. Al-Kathiri added that "the abduction of Lieutenant Colonel Ali Ashaal al-Jaadani is an issue that concerns us all. No free southerner can accept such heinous and unlawful acts that violate the norms and values of our people of the South."

Al-Kathiri reaffirmed that the STC, represented by its President Aidarous Al-Zubaidi, rejects and condemns such acts and stands against them, assured that the STC would spare no effort in pursuing justice for the perpetrators as per the directives of the STC's leadership, noted that they have "strongly instructed the security services to swiftly uncover the fate of the abducted Ashaal and those behind his abduction, bringing them to justice as soon as possible," and expressed vigilance against "hostile forces" seeking to exploit the issue to tear apart the southern national fabric and disrupt the cohesiveness of the South.

After extensive discussions regarding the abduction of Lieutenant Colonel Ali Ashaal al-Jaadani, the meeting of the Abyan Bloc in the National Assembly concluded with the decision to establish a liaison committee to closely follow up on the case with the relevant authorities, ensuring the perpetrators are brought to justice and receive their fair punishment to prevent the recurrence of such reprehensible acts in the future.

The meeting was attended by prominent figures, including Mr. Nasr Harhara, rapporteur of the National Assembly, Mr. Hassan Ghaithan, head of the Local Leadership Executive Body (LLEB) of the STC in Abyan, and Mr. Khalid al-Abd, head of the National Assembly Bloc in Abyan Governorate.