Yemeni extremist held at Oman border

A prominent extremist linked to the Iran-backed Houthi militia has been arrested while trying to return to Yemen from Iran.

Hassan Ali Al-Emad, 44, leader of the Future of Justice party, was detained by security forces in the eastern province of Al-Mahra.

Posing as a student, Al-Emad attempted to cross into Yemen at the Shehan border crossing with Oman two weeks ago. He was detained by border guards and moved to a security facility in Al-Ghaydah city, a local security official told Arab News.

Al-Emad lived in Iran for 20 years. He told local media outlets several years ago that he received his religious education at Al-Hawza AlIlmiyya in Najaf, Iraq, and called for followers to embrace the late Iranian revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s teachings.

When the Arab coalition stepped

Posing as a student, Al-Emad attempted to cross into Yemen at the Shehan border crossing with Oman two weeks ago.

in militarily in Yemen in favor of the legitimate government in 2015, Al-Emad urged followers to rally behind Abdul Malik Al-Houthi, the leader of the Houthi movement.

Meanwhile, fighting raged on Saturday between government troops and the Houthis in key contested areas outside the central city of Marib and in the northern province of Jouf.

Yemen’s Defense Ministry said warplanes from the Arab coalition carried out six air raids, targeting Houthi military equipment and locations in Rahabah district, southwest of Marib city. The warplanes have helped Yemeni government troops on the ground to foil aggressive Houthi advances. The ministry said more than 10,000 Houthis had been killed in fierce fighting with government forces or in Arab coalition airstrikes since January this year.