Yemeni authorities arrest Qatari intelligence officer

CAIRO – 4 May 2018: A Qatari national got arrested by Yemeni authorities, as he was about to leave for Oman, under suspicions he is an intelligence officer.

A Yemeni government source told Al-Arabiya satellite channel that Mohsen Al Karbi was trying to exit Yemen at a border crossing in Al-Mahra province on his way to Omani territories.

The Qatari National Human Rights Committee claimed that the Qatari citizen was on a trip to visit relatives in Yemeni territory.

Yemeni sources said to the press that Karbi is believed to be a major in the Qatari intelligence and that he operated as a coordinator between the Houthi militia.

Doha confirmed the arrest through a statement issued by the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) and claimed that the Qatari citizen was on a trip to visit relatives in Yemeni territory.

“Al Karbi was arrested on April 21 as he was on his way to visit relatives in Yemen,” the NHRC statement said.

Officials loyal to Yemen’s former president Ali Abdullah Saleh in December said that they had arrested a Qatari intelligence office, Mohammad Al Otaibi, according to Qatari Leaks.

Otaibi was attempted to influence leaders of the Popular Congress Party to support the Houthi militias and reconsider their decision to break up the partnership between Saleh and Houthis.