Yemen Drone Strike by Forces Led by Tariq Saleh Kills Civilian Escalating Tensions in Taiz s West

A young man was killed early Monday in a drone strike in the Al-Waziya district of western Taiz, in an attack attributed to the National Resistance Forces led by Presidential Leadership Council member Tariq Saleh, according to local sources, in an incident that has sharply escalated tensions in the area.

The victim, identified as Burhan Ali Taha, was inside a guard room near his home in the village of Hina when the strike occurred, residents said. He was the son of a local commander who had taken part in battles against Houthi forces in 2016. The strike followed clashes between Saleh’s forces and tribal gunmen near a security checkpoint in the district.

The incident comes amid a broader military campaign carried out by Saleh’s forces, which are based along Yemen’s western coast, targeting armed tribal groups led by a local figure known as Ahmed Salem. Residents describe Salem as an influential figure accused of involvement in arms trafficking, while others view the campaign as an extension of efforts to assert control over the district by force.

Tensions in Al-Waziya date back to March 21, when tribal fighters detained members of the National Resistance Forces on suspicion of an assassination plot. The detentions followed an earlier motorcycle ramming incident in which Salem was believed to have been the intended target. Although tribal mediation secured the release of the detainees, clashes soon resumed after they passed through a security checkpoint, plunging the area into a cycle of escalating violence.

Residents reported that government-aligned forces have carried out sweeping raids across several villages, including Hina al-Gharbiya, Hina al-Sufla, al-Ghail and al-Hadara. The operations involved home raids, arrests, and the pursuit of a wounded man into a hospital, where he was detained and later died. Locals also said that schools and health facilities had