Ahrar al-Najran
| Ahrar al-Najran | |
|---|---|
|
أحرار النجران Participant in the Yemeni Civil War (2015-present) | |
|
The Ahrar al-Najran flag reads "Shia" in Arabic | |
| Active | June 2015–present |
| Ideology |
Separatism Shia Islamism |
| Leaders |
Tribal alliance, thus multiple leaders:
|
| Area of operations | Najran Region, Saudi Arabia |
| Allies |
 Houthis Revolutionary Committee |
| Opponents |
 Saudi Arabia Yemen (Hadi government) |
The Ahrar al-Najran (Arabic: أحرار النجران ʾAḥrār an-Najrān, "Free Ones of the Najran Region") movement is an alleged secessionist group in southern Saudi Arabia that arose in response to the Saudi-led intervention in the Yemeni civil war that started in 2015. Information on the alleged group has come almost exclusively from Iranian and allied Syrian media, with no independent corroboration on them. Since the summer of 2015 there have been no further reports on the alleged group.[2]
History
The Najran Region became a part of Saudi Arabia only in 1934, after a treaty was signed, was previously been part of the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen. Beside the eastern provinces in the country, the aforementioned province has an important Shia majority. When the Houthi uprising in Yemen started and Saudi-Arabia eventually intervened, Najran as a border province became part of the clashes and tribal forces in the region began to form, with Ahrar Al-Najran reportedly being an alliance of them.
References
- ↑ "How Saudi Arabia’s aggressive foreign policy is playing against itself". Retrieved 23 March 2016.
- ↑ "Saudi Arabia’s Yemen Intervention: A High Risk Gamble?". The Jamestown Foundation. Retrieved 22 February 2017.