Yemeni gov't forces destroy hashish, drugs in NW border city

HAJJAH, Yemen, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's government forces have burned 1,100 kg of hashish and 8,000 narcotic pills seized from smugglers in the past four months in the northwestern province of Hajjah, a security official said Friday.

The destruction was carried out on Thursday in the government-controlled Red Sea city of Midi, in the presence of representatives of the court, public prosecution and the security services.

"We have burned 1,100 kg of hashish and 8,000 Captagon and amphetamine pills seized by the security services after foiling seven attempts of smuggling since November last year in the border area near Saudi Arabia," the official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

This is the fifth time the government forces to burn drugs seized in the border area in three years.

In October 2021, the government services burned 1,167 kg of hashish and 48,000 narcotic pills seized by the security services in the same area.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia took control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa.