The Specialized Criminal Court in Sana'a on Sunday issued rulings convicting 23 defendants of assisting the enemy and forming an armed group linked to Al-Qaeda, accused of carrying out acts of bombing, destruction, looting, and killing against civilians, security personnel, and military and Popular Committees forces.

In its ruling session, presided over by Judge Yahya Abdulkarim Al-Mansour in the presence of prosecutor Khaled Omar and court registrar Abdulmajeed Al-Dhufri, the court sentenced five defendants to death (hudud, retribution, and discretionary penalties), two others to death (hudud and retribution), and 12 to death as a discretionary punishment. 

Two defendants received 10-year prison sentences, one was sentenced to four years, and another to two years. The court also terminated proceedings against five defendants due to their death.

According to the court, the defendants were involved in an armed group allegedly linked to Saudi and US forces.

The prosecution had charged 28 individuals with supporting Saudi and Emirati-led coalition forces between 2015 and 2023, including joining training camps in Maris (Dhalea province), the so-called Al-Sadreen camp, and operating in Al-Mokha.

They were also accused of forming an armed group affiliated with coalition forces, Al-Qaeda, and ISIS, carrying out attacks on civilians and security forces, including ambushes, bombings, kidnappings, and armed robbery, which allegedly undermined security in Jibla district of Dhalea.

The prosecution further stated that the defendants received logistical support from allied leaders, used mountainous areas such as Bani Dhabyan valleys and Al-Masna near Maris as hideouts, and recruited individuals to monitor military movements and plan coordinated attacks.