Yesterday, Friday, an armed group kidnapped two workers of a United Nations organization, in an area near the Mudiyah district, Abyan governorate.

 According to informed sources, who spoke to "South Shield", "armed elements of al-Qaeda kidnapped six workers of a UN organization, including a foreigner, and later took them to an unknown area in Abyan."

 The sources said: “Al-Qaeda elements stopped a convoy of three vehicles and a United Nations crew, to be stopped at a point that cuts between the city of Al-Khadeera and Modeh in the central region of Abyan.”

 The sources added: "Al-Qaeda gunmen were waiting for them at the place, and they kidnapped the six workers and took them to an unknown area believed to be one of the areas where terrorist elements are present."

 A tribal source stated that the central region of Abyan governorate is witnessing freedom in the movement of terrorist organization elements in those areas, as it has carried out many kidnappings, assassinations and revenge cases since the Brotherhood militia took control of it.

 The source pointed out that terrorist elements have spread widely and are seeking, through these kidnappings, to negotiate for the release of other terrorist elements affiliated with Al-Qaeda.

 Al-Qaeda’s activity in the central region of Abyan governorate has escalated and spread in an unprecedented manner, following the takeover of the Brotherhood militias and the military units under their control, and the obstruction of the work and spread of the southern armed forces represented by the Security Belt forces since August 2019.

 Al-Qaeda terrorist elements carried out many criminal attacks targeting members of the Security Belt forces in Abyan Governorate, through ambushes, assassinations and explosions with booby-traps over the past three years.

 Throughout this time, the forces loyal to the Brotherhood were not subjected to any terrorist operations despite their presence near the areas of these terrorist groups and the involvement of those elements in their ranks under military names;  This indicates the close relationship between the two parties.

 The southern armed forces had earlier called on the Arab coalition and the International Anti-Terrorism Coalition to provide the “necessary and direct support to complete the battle against terrorism,” as well as the implementation of the Riyadh Agreement, which will be eliminated under the implementation of its military component and the handover of terrorist militia camps whose involvement in harboring terrorist elements has been proven.