Yemeni defence ministry official found dead in Egypt apartment

A senior military official in Yemen's internationally recognised government was found dead in his apartment near Cairo, Yemen's embassy to Egypt said Sunday.

"We are following with great concern the killing of the director of the Military Industrialisation Department in the Ministry of Defence, martyr Major General Hassan bin Jalal Al-Obaidi," the embassy wrote on X.

It said Al-Obaidi was found murdered in his apartment in Faisal, part of Cairo’s neighbouring city of Giza, adding that investigations into the crime were ongoing in coordination with Egyptian security services.

The embassy also called on all media outlets to "ensure accuracy in everything that is published, and not to be drawn into rumours until the final results are reached by the competent authorities".

According to Yemeni media outlets, Al-Obaidi was found handcuffed with several stab wounds in his body. Other reports said he was found strangled.

He was reportedly found dead by his brother who had gone to visit him.

The media attaché at the Yemeni embassy in Egypt, Baligh Al-Mikhlafi, told The New Arab’s sister site that Al-Obaidi arrived in Cairo 20 days ago, left for Turkey on a short visit, and returned to Cairo a week ago.

"Yesterday we received a report at two o’clock at night that he was killed," he told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

سفارة اليمن لدى جمهورية مصر تقول إنها تتابع حادثة مقتل اللواء حسن بن جلال العبيدي - مدير دائرة التصنيع الحربي في وزارة الدفاع - الذي وجد مقتولاً في شقته بالقاهرة

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— حدث بالفعل (@7adasBelfe3l) February 18, 2024

"His brother lost contact with him on Thursday evening, so his brother went with some people and went into the apartment and found him murdered, before contacting the security services and the embassy."

Al-Obaidi oversaw manufacturing and import operations for the Yemeni army and was previously responsible for developing the local armoured vehicles during the rule of slain Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Yemen's internationally-recognised government is based in the southern city of Aden, after it was driven out of the capital, Sanaa, by Iran-backed Houthis in 2014.