NYN | News
Shabwah Governorate is witnessing military movements and unusual deployments, according to Yemeni military analyst Ali al-Nassi, who today shared details about the arrival of a joint military committee of Emirati and American officers at Ataq Airport roughly ten days ago to conduct a “comprehensive field assessment” of the forces and brigades deployed in the governorate.
Al-Nassi explained that the assessment committee was stationed in new facilities northwest of the airport campus, noting that Emirati forces have controlled Ataq Airport since 2021 and have carried out extensive expansions including barracks, drone control rooms, air defense facilities, in addition to digging and constructing multi-purpose underground hideouts.
According to al-Nassi, the committee is composed of Emirati and American officers, and drew on military expertise from Latin American countries and private security companies; foreign intelligence personnel were also reportedly present in Shabwah in recent days. The committee — he said — began by evaluating the “Shabwah Defense” forces, with plans to assess the “Giants” (Al-Amaliqa) and the “Saba Axis” forces in turn.
“Underground Hideouts and Specialized Training Centers”
Al-Nassi reported the existence of two large underground hideouts within the airport perimeter, the first known as BA1 which is used as a headquarters for accommodation and meetings, while the second, BA2, is used as a specialized training center — he said — for teaching explosive manufacture and operating “suicide drones,” and that the training tasks are overseen by operatives he described as Latin American mercenaries.
“Latin Mercenaries: Roles and Employment”
Al-Nassi relayed information that a group of Colombian mercenaries numbering between 8 and 12 people, who were formerly officers and soldiers, were tasked with training and qualifying members of “Shabwah Defense” and “Al-Amaliqa — Saba Axis” in explosive manufacturing and operating suicide drones.
He indicated that these individuals were hired through two security companies: the first, “A4SI International Services Agency,” registered in Panama and reportedly led by a colonel named Kejano, and the second, “GSSG Security Services Group,” based in Abu Dhabi — and he compiled linking information tying them to specific Emirati parties.
The analyst added that the mercenaries were officially employed under the heading “security guards” on contracts for work in the UAE and Africa, and that they were promised salaries of about USD 3,590 but reportedly actually received no more than about USD 2,000, according to accounts circulating among them.
“Operational African Record and Previous Combat Participation”
Al-Nassi said some of these mercenaries previously served at bases and in areas in East and West Africa — including Mozambique, Zimbabwe, the Comoros, Eritrea, Sudan, and Libya — and that several participated as support forces in battles in Sudan (Nyala and Al-Fashir airports in 2024), and served at Emirati bases in Somalia, Eritrea, Libya, and Sudan.
“Impact of the Deployment and Analytical Assessment”
Ali al-Nassi opined that the presence of an Emirati-American assessment committee in this context may pave the way for restructuring and reorientation of local forces in Shabwah through leadership changes or re-equipping and rearming field units, warning that introducing foreign elements and training them in explosive and drone techniques could exacerbate the risk of security escalation within the governorate and calls for transparency and accountability from the relevant authorities.
