Aden.. Transitional forces announce responsibility for liquidating Bahartha’s companion after suspecting him of “drug trafficking”

The Security Belt Forces of the Southern Transitional Council announced on Monday its responsibility for liquidating the personal aide of the director of the Prime Minister's office and the former head of the Land Authority in the interim capital, Aden, in southern Yemen, accusing him of being a "drug dealer."

On Monday morning, citizen Mohamed Gamal Mohamed Ibrahim, a companion of Anis Baharitha, the former Prime Minister’s office manager, was killed by gunmen riding a Foxy bus near the Suzuki roundabout in Mansoura District.

The "Sons of Aden Platform" reported that Muhammed Jamal was shot in the back and lodged in his heart. The gunmen then took him to the German hospital and did not leave until they were sure of his death. They also looted all of his personal belongings, including his ring.

Hours after the news of the assassination of the Prime Minister's Office Director's aide was circulated, the Security Belt Forces issued a statement this afternoon announcing the "overthrow of drug dealers and the killing of a suspect while he was trying to escape."

The statement said, "The Security Belt Forces, in coordination with the Anti-Narcotics Unit in the capital, Aden, carried out an extensive security campaign targeting drug dealers and promoters, which resulted in the arrest of a number of suspects and the seizure of quantities of narcotics."

The statement added: "During the investigations, evidence revealed a network of drug dealers and users linked to drug dealers, as the third defendant's phone calls showed that he received several requests to buy drugs, including a request from a person named "M.G." to buy half a kilo of hashish."

He continued: "In security coordination, a meeting was arranged with "M.G." on Sunday evening at the Suzuki roundabout with the aim of arresting him while receiving the drugs. The head of the anti-drug squad went down with his team using a civilian car (a Foxy bus belonging to the accused Al-Baydani) as a decoy measure to avoid arousing suspicion."

A video broadcast by the Security Belt Forces in Aden, which it said shows the moments of overthrowing drug dealers and killing a suspect while trying to escape. pic.twitter.com/QaNg2EPJJ7

— Abdulrahman Anis (@abdulrahmananis) February 24, 2025

The statement said, "When the security forces arrived at the site, 'M.G.' was spotted inside a Chevrolet car with Aden license plate number (34208), and when the squad leader tried to open the car door to arrest him, the accused tried to flee in a reckless manner, as he quickly backed up and ran over the squad leader, causing him to be injured in his foot."

He added: "In response, the soldiers shot at the car's tires to disable it and prevent his escape, but he continued moving until he crashed into an iron barrier on the sidewalk."

The statement explained that, "After surrounding the car, it was found that the accused was bleeding, and the security forces immediately took him to the German Hospital, but he died there from his wounds."

The Security Belt Forces reported that after searching the car of the accused "M.J.", "268 grams of hashish were found inside his bag, along with an amount of money amounting to 300 thousand Yemeni riyals, a personal phone, and drug use tools."

The Sons of Aden platform had previously published - that is, before the statement of the Transitional Forces - what it described as "details about the assassination of Muhammad Jamal, the personal aide to the former director of the Prime Minister's Office and head of the General Authority for Land, Survey and Urban Planning, Anis Baharitha."

The platform said, "The crime took place at midnight last night, and it began with a call the victim received while he was at his home in the Arish area, after which he left for Mansoura Directorate."

She added, "On the Al-Maleh line, near the Suzuki roundabout, next to which there is a military point affiliated with the Transitional Council, the assassination was carried out."

She explained that "the reason for the targeting may be related to the leaking of documents revealing widespread looting of lands, in which prominent figures directly linked to the head of the Transitional Council, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, were involved," who returned to the interim capital last Saturday from outside the country.

New details about the assassination of the aide to the head of the Prime Minister's office

More details are emerging about the assassination of Mohamed Gamal, the personal aide to the former director of the Prime Minister's Office and head of the General Authority for Land, Survey and Urban Planning, Anis Baharitha.

The crime took place at midnight last night, and it started with a phone call… https://t.co/b6BmJu8IhS pic.twitter.com/QpWEoyOgN6

— Sons of Aden Platform (@Aden_newss) February 24, 2025

He pointed out that these documents, which were recently published, "caused great tension within the council's corridors, after they revealed the extent of the violations and corruption in the land file in Aden Governorate."

According to the Sons of Aden platform, “Mohammed Jamal is one of the people close to Anis Baharitha, the official in charge of the General Land Authority, which is concerned with managing and organizing lands in the country.”