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The government’s control has been severely weakened in Yemen as developments push the country toward state fragmentation. Opposition groups have gained control of major cities and violence has flared outside of the capital, where a tenuous ceasefire holds.
The opposition has taken control of Taiz. Armed men, who arrived in the city after the brutal crackdown on peaceful protestors, now control Taiz and are protecting the protestors. Security forces still hold the Central Security Forces and Republican Guard bases, the local presidential palace, and the hospital. Sporadic fighting has occurred near the presidential palace.
Al Qaeda-linked militants still hold Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan governorate. Overnight fighting killed at least 15 people, nine of whom were soldiers, at a military position outside of the city. Militants entered the city on May 27 and the government only controls the military base, which hosts the 25th mechanized brigade.
A gunman killed two Saudi border guards. The man attempted to cross into Yemen from Saudi Arabia’s Najran province and opened fire on the border guards when they tried to stop him. The man was shot dead.
The UK deployed military assets off the coast of Yemen. A defense ministry spokesman said, “As part of routine deployment UK military assets are in the region, although we are not prepared to comment further on their exact operational tasking.” Eighty marines are aboard the RFA Fort Victoria and the RFA Argus is also in the region.
Yemen remains at risk of a renewed armed conflict as anti-government groups outside of the capital seize control of major cities. The power vacuum in Yemen also increases the likelihood of state fragmentation.
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