Curfew in Aden After 22 Killed in Fighting

10 Troops Among the Slain as They Try to Seize Port

The pro-Saudi Yemeni government has imposed a nighttime curfew on their temporary capital city of Aden today, after fighting over the weekend saw at least 22 people killed, including 10 troops who were sent to secure the city’s port district.

Exactly who they were fighting is uncertain, though al-Qaeda in known to have a presence in Aden, and ISIS has also been trying to expand in the area. Officials expressed surprise at the number of armed people around the port.

Officials suggested imposing the curfew would allow them to get the militants in the city under control, but whether their troops can actually enforce the curfew remains to be seen, and there is concern it may simply provide more opportunities for Islamist groups to fight the security forces.

The militants are said to have been using the port for smuggling operations. A Saudi naval blockade imposed around Yemen has made shipping anything from food to medicine all but impossible, but nominal Saudi control over Aden means ships can usually get there.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.