ADEN, Yemen, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Unidentified gunmen shot dead a senior leader of Yemen's newly-formed pro-government forces in the country's oil-rich province of Marib, a security official told Xinhua on Saturday.
The military commander, identified as Abdul-Razzaq Baqama, belonged to the newly-formed pro-government "Happy Yemen Brigades" backed by Saudi Arabia, the source said on condition of anonymity.
"Brigadier Baqama was found dead in his car late on Friday night. He was shot by unknown gunmen's automatic assault rifles," said the security official.
No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the killing of Baqama, who was also a key tribal figure fighting the Houthi militia in Marib.
In an attempt to seize oil resources, the Houthi militia repeatedly attacked the strategic Yemeni province of Marib, which is controlled by the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces.
Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed government out of the capital Sanaa. ■
