Washington, D.C., June 25, 2026 — The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Yemen’s internationally recognized government to conduct an immediate, transparent investigation into
Mohammed Aydah’s killing
.
Aydah, a correspondent for Saudi-owned channels Al-Arabiya and Al-Hadath, was killed on Wednesday when an explosive device
detonated
under the driver’s seat of his vehicle in the southern port city of Al-Mukalla, in Yemen’s eastern Hadramout governorate.
Though no group has yet claimed responsibility, Al-Mukalla security authorities had
warned
Aydah that his life was in danger, but failed to elaborate.
In late 2018, Aydah was chased and
nearly arrested
by armed members of the Houthi group in the Yemeni capital Sanaa.
“The preceding threats against Aydah, coupled with an explosive device planted in his car, strongly suggest that this was a targeted killing, underlining the extreme dangers Yemeni journalists face while reporting from one of the world’s most perilous conflict zones,” said CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah. “A transparent investigation that brings those responsible to justice is essential not only for accountability in Aydah’s case, but also for protecting journalists across Yemen.”
The targeted killing follows recent political shifts in Yemen, including the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council temporarily seizing
oil-rich Hadramout governorate
in December 2025, only to lose the region to
Saudi-backed forces
before
disbanding
entirely in January 2026.
Since 2024, at least
33 Yemeni journalists
have been killed by
Israel
,
Houthi insurgents
, and
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
.
In a separate incident, Yemeni journalist
Salah al-Din Ali al-Ruhani
was
detained
three months ago by the Houthis in Sanaa, and his whereabouts remain unknown. The Yemeni Journalists Syndicate
said
that al-Ruhani’s home was raided by Houthi members, before abducting, interrogating him for four hours, and taking him to a detention
