Yemeni Military Commander Survives Assassination Attempt in Aden

A photo circulated on social media of Saleh Ali Hassan.
A photo circulated on social media of Saleh Ali Hassan.
TT

Yemeni Military Commander Survives Assassination Attempt in Aden

A photo circulated on social media of Saleh Ali Hassan.
A photo circulated on social media of Saleh Ali Hassan.

A Yemeni military commander survived on Sunday an assassination attempt in the interim capital Aden.

Commander of joint operations at the Aden-based 4th Military Zone Saleh Ali Hassan's convoy was the target of a car bombing as it was traveling the main street in the al-Maala district.

His armored vehicle helped protect him and he was unharmed.

The booby-trapped car exploded as soon as his car approached, with witnesses telling Asharq Al-Awsat that the explosion rocked the main port area and the district's main police station.

A security official told Asharq Al-Awsat that the attack was similar to mode of operation of the Iran-backed Houthi militias.

They had used the same style of attack in previous assassinations, he said.

A police official remarked that the Aden attack was aimed at destabilizing the image of security in the interim capital and impact the positive atmosphere that has prevailed in wake of last month's intra-Yemeni consultations in Riyadh and the formation of the Presidential Leadership Council.

He added that the Houthis had the most to lose from the formation of the council and the most to gain from the destabilization in Aden and other government-held regions.

He revealed that the security agencies, in cooperation with the Saudi-led Arab coalition, have managed to thwart several plots and they are capable of thwarting more.

The Houthis will not succeed, he vowed.



US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
TT

US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)

The United States is deferring the removal of certain Lebanese citizens from the country, President Joe Biden said on Friday, citing humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon amid tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.

The deferred designation, which lasts 18 months, allows Lebanese citizens to remain in the country with the right to work, according to a memorandum Biden sent to the Department of Homeland Security.

"Humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon have significantly deteriorated due to tensions between Hezbollah and Israel," Biden said in the memo.

"While I remain focused on de-escalating the situation and improving humanitarian conditions, many civilians remain in danger; therefore, I am directing the deferral of removal of certain Lebanese nationals who are present in the United States."

Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have been trading fire since Hezbollah announced a "support front" with Palestinians shortly after its ally Hamas attacked southern Israeli border communities on Oct. 7, triggering Israel's military assault in Gaza.

The fighting in Lebanon has killed more than 100 civilians and more than 300 Hezbollah fighters, according to a Reuters tally, and led to levels of destruction in Lebanese border towns and villages not seen since the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war.

On the Israeli side, 10 Israeli civilians, a foreign agricultural worker and 20 Israeli soldiers have been killed. Tens of thousands have been evacuated from both sides of the border.