[Yemen Post] Dozens of angry soldiers from the Republican Guard and Central Security Forces in an area located on the northern outskirts of the Yemeni capital of Sana'a kidnapped on Thursday a high-ranking elite republican guard commander in protest over the continuation of suspending their salaries, al-Sahwa news mobile service reported.The soldiers' salaries were reportedly suspended in part of their refusal to take part in the crackdown conducted against the peaceful youth revolution last year.
Angry that their suspended salaries were not released, the soldiers kidnapped the 62 Brigade's commander Murad al-Awbali and took him to an unknown location, said the news service which belongs to the Islah Party.
Al-Awbali was kidnapped in Jahana Market of Khawlan, a few kilometers northern Sana'a city, according to al-Sahwa.
After he led a fierce crackdown on the peaceful protesters calling for change in 2011 in the southern province of Taiz, the protesters kept taking to streets calling for holding al-Awbali accountable for the crimes committed against them by forces under him command.
This prompted Saleh's son--the chief of the Elite Republican Guards, the best equipped and trained military troops in Yemen--to transfer al-Awbali from Taiz to the 62 brigade located in al-Sama area, some 30 kilometers northern Sana'a.
In the meantime, dozens of soldiers were reported to have cut off the road leading to Taiz provincial security headquarters building, a move that aims to show their protest and refusal to the decision stating the soldiers who joined the youth revolution must return to their barracks.