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Kadhimi Assigns Counter-Terrorism Unit to Free Kidnapped Activist

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi. (Reuters)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi. (Reuters)
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Kadhimi Assigns Counter-Terrorism Unit to Free Kidnapped Activist

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi. (Reuters)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi. (Reuters)

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi on Monday ordered dispatching a special anti-terror force backed by the army's air force to locate the Iraqi activist Sajjad al-Iraqi, who was kidnapped by a group of armed gunmen in the southern city of Nasiriyah.

Kadhimi’s orders came after the security forces and local police in Nasiriyah failed to free the activist three days after he was kidnapped.

“A force from the Anti-Terrorism Service was assigned to go to Dhi Qar governorate backed by army air forces to locate and free the kidnapped activist,” Iraq’s Security Media Cell said.

Dhi Qar Police Chief Hazem al-Waeli on Monday revealed new information about al-Iraqi’s kidnapping.

“Security forces were able to identify the kidnapper through the testimonies of eyewitnesses and al-Iraqi’s friends who were accompanying him during the time of the kidnapping,” al-Waeli said, adding that the police also used information retrieved from the tire tracks left behind by the abductor’s vehicle.

Al-Waeli confirmed that security forces started taking necessary measures regarding the case.

Al-Iraqi was kidnapped by seven gunmen mounting a pick-up truck on Saturday evening from the Al-Azirij neighborhood north of Nasiriyah.

One of al-Iraqi’s companions was shot, but he survived his wounds and identified the kidnappers.

Despite activists in Nasiriyah accusing al-Ibrahimi tribe of being behind the abduction, driven mainly by political aims, al-Waeli said that the motives behind the kidnapping remain unclear.

“We have no information about the reason for his kidnapping, we do not know that there are tribal problems, or problems with posting on Facebook, or maybe a fight took place on the same day, but we will know all of that after the kidnappers are arrested,” al-Waeli said.

Protesters took to the streets soon after news of the kidnapping broke out. Demonstrators blocked bridges crossing the Euphrates River and closed down the majority of official offices in an effort to pressure local authorities and the police to uncover the whereabouts of al-Iraqi.

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Yemen Crisis Meeting Seeks to Curb Impact of Houthi Terror Listing

Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) chief, Rashad al-Alimi, held a virtual meeting with the Economic and Humanitarian Crisis Committee (Saba News Agency)
Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) chief, Rashad al-Alimi, held a virtual meeting with the Economic and Humanitarian Crisis Committee (Saba News Agency)
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Yemen Crisis Meeting Seeks to Curb Impact of Houthi Terror Listing

Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) chief, Rashad al-Alimi, held a virtual meeting with the Economic and Humanitarian Crisis Committee (Saba News Agency)
Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) chief, Rashad al-Alimi, held a virtual meeting with the Economic and Humanitarian Crisis Committee (Saba News Agency)

Amid escalating military operations by the Iran-aligned Houthis in the Marib, Al-Jawf, and Taiz battlefronts, Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) chief, Rashad al-Alimi, held a virtual meeting with the Economic and Humanitarian Crisis Committee.

The meeting aimed to discuss measures aimed at mitigating humanitarian repercussions following Washington’s designation of the group as a “foreign terrorist organization.”

The US State Department confirmed on Tuesday that the executive order reinstating the Houthis’ terrorist designation—originally issued by former President Donald Trump upon his return to the White House—had come into effect.

Shortly after, the US Treasury imposed financial sanctions on seven senior Houthi figures, including the group’s spokesperson Mohammed Abdul Salam, its ruling council head Mehdi al-Mashat, and Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a cousin of the group’s leader.

State media reported that Alimi held a meeting with the Economic and Humanitarian Crisis Management Committee, led by Prime Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, to discuss economic, monetary, and banking developments, as well as measures to address the US executive order designating the Houthis as a terrorist group.

According to official sources, the meeting focused on government measures to manage the designation, including exemptions and licenses issued to ensure the continued flow of humanitarian aid and mitigate potential humanitarian fallout from the decision, which took effect on Tuesday.

The meeting reaffirmed the Yemeni government’s commitment to working closely with the international community to minimize the impact of the US terrorist designation on citizens, national institutions, and key sectors, particularly the banking industry.

According to the state-run Saba news agency, Alimi was briefed by bin Mubarak, Central Bank Governor Ahmed Ghalib al-Maabqi, Foreign Minister Shaea al-Zindani, and Economic Team Head Hossam al-Sharjabi on the latest economic and living conditions.

They also outlined government efforts to meet essential obligations, especially during the holy month of Ramadan.

The briefing, Saba reported, covered key financial and monetary indicators, the efficiency of state institutions in securing public revenue, and measures to sustain essential services across provinces.

Addressing fresh sanctions on the Houthis, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement that Washington had imposed sanctions on seven senior members of the group for their involvement in smuggling weapons into Houthi-controlled areas and negotiating arms supply deals.

One of the sanctioned individuals and his company were also accused of recruiting Yemeni civilians to fight for Russia in Ukraine, generating additional resources to fund the Houthis’ military operations, Bruce added.

For its part, the UN confirmed that its special envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, remains committed to continuing his mediation efforts under the mandate of the UN Security Council, working towards a comprehensive and peaceful resolution to the decade-long conflict in the country.

In a statement to Asharq Al-Awsat, Grundberg’s spokeswoman Ismini Palla said it was too early to assess the impact of the US decision to impose sanctions on Houthi leaders.

The envoy remains dedicated to his mediation efforts in line with the Security Council's mandate, pushing the dialogue towards a peaceful and inclusive resolution of the conflict in Yemen, she added.

Also speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, US Ambassador to Yemen, Steven Fagin, reaffirmed that under Trump's leadership, the US remains committed to holding the Houthis accountable for their terrorist attacks and working with the international community to weaken their capabilities.