Former Yemen İntelligence Chief Arrives İn Egypt

Yemen's former internal intelligence chief Hamoud Khaled al-Sofi arrived in Egyptian capital Cairo late Thursday, sources at Cairo airport said.



He arrived in Cairo from British capital London on board of an EgyptAir plane, the sources told The Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity.



Al-Sofi had broken away with Yemen's Shiite Houthi group two days ago and left for Germany, according to Yemeni diplomatic sources.



Al-Sofi, the sources said, was a close associate of ex-Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh who appointed him as the governor of the central province of Taizz.



On Nov. 23, 2014, al-Sofi was appointed as the head of the internal security agency. This came almost two months after the Houthis controlled Yemeni capital Sanaa.



Yemen has been in turmoil since a popular uprising that erupted in 2011 forced Saleh to step down a year later.



On March 25, Saudi Arabia and Arab allies launched a military campaign against positions of the Houthis across Yemen.



Riyadh says its anti-Houthi campaign is in response to appeals by President ABD Rabbuh Mansur Hadi – currently in Riyadh – for help against the Shiite militia.



The Houthis, for their part, denounce the ongoing offensive as unwarranted "Saudi-American aggression" on Yemen.



Egypt is one of several Arab states participating in the Saudi-led campaign.



www.aa.com.tr/en - Kahire