Ahrar al-Najran
The Ahrar al-Najran (Arabic: أحرار النجران ʾAḥrār an-Najrān, "Free Ones of the Najran") movement is an alleged secessionist group in southern Saudi Arabia that arose in response to the Saudi-led intervention in the Yemeni civil war that started in 2015. Information on the alleged group has come almost exclusively from Iranian and allied Syrian media, with no independent corroboration on them. Since the summer of 2015 there have been no further reports on the alleged group.[2]
| Ahrar al-Najran | |
|---|---|
أحرار النجران Participant in the Yemeni Civil War (2015-present) and Saudi Arabian–Yemeni border conflict (2015–present) | |
| Active | June 2015–present |
| Ideology | Separatism Shia muslims interests Anti-imperialism Anti-Zionism |
| Leaders | Tribal alliance, thus multiple leaders:
|
| Area of operations | Najran Region, Saudi Arabia |
| Allies |  |
| Opponent(s) |  |
History
The Najran Region, as well as the 'Asir and Jizan regions, was previously part of the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen and became a part of Saudi Arabia only in 1934, after the first Saudi-Yemeni war. Besides the eastern provinces in the country, the aforementioned province has an important Shia presence. When the Houthi uprising in Yemen started and Saudi Arabia eventually intervened, Najran as a border province became part of the clashes and tribal forces in the region began to form, with Ahrar Al-Najran reportedly being an alliance of them.
References
- "How Saudi Arabia's aggressive foreign policy is playing against itself". Archived from the original on 29 January 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
- "Saudi Arabia's Yemen Intervention: A High Risk Gamble?". The Jamestown Foundation. Archived from the original on 2017-02-22. Retrieved 22 February 2017.