Saudi Activist: New Opposition Movement Formed in Najran

A new political and armed opposition movement named ‘Najran’s Youth’ declared existence 10 days after another group titled ‘Ahrar al-Najran’ was formed with a similar agenda, a Saudi activist announced on Thursday.

A number of revolutionary forces in the border area of Najran, Southwest of Saudi Arabia, have started an opposition group named Najran’s Youth, Abu Sami’e told FNA today.

“The Najran Youth movement has stood against the Saudi regime’s cruelties and pursues an agenda and objective similar to Ahrar al-Najran, which is independence from Saudi Arabia,” he added.

Tribal forces and activists in Saudi Arabia’s Najran region formed a military and political opposition movement to the Saudi regime, called ‘Ahrar al-Najran’ after the region declared in June that it had separated from Saudi Arabia and joined Yemen in the war on Riyadh.

Also in June, Ahrar al-Najran announced that it had gained control of a military base in Southern Saudi Arabia.

The movement announced that the Saudi military base was located in al-Masha’liya region, South of Najran region.

‘Ahrar al-Najran’ movement also said that its forces had tough clashes with the Saudi military men in Khabash region located 10km to the South of Najran Center.

On the same day, activists in Najran region told FNA that several Saudi forces were killed during the conflicts in Najran residential areas.

Activist and movement member, Abu Bakr Abi Ahmad al-Salami, told FNA in mid-June that “all tribes of the region are members of the Ahrar al-Najran Movement”.

On Tuesday, Ahrar al-Najran announced that its fighters, assisted by tribal forces, had downed a military helicopter of the Saudi army in the Southern parts of the Arab country.

The Saudi opposition movement said it shot down the Saudi army’s chopper with the help of local tribal forces.

Ahrar al-Najran said that its air defense system hit the Saudi helicopter as it was on a patrolling mission.

On Wednesday, Ahrar al-Najran, took control of the airport of the Southern city of Najran after fierce clashes with the Saudi forces.

The movement’s forces attacked the airport on Wednesday and seized its full control after killing 30 Saudi military men and injuring dozens more. The airport was then pounded by the fighter jets of Saudi Arabia which is not able to fight against the opposition forces in ground war.