OMM Redaksiyası
A US Department of Energy electrical engineer has been arrested on suspicion of supporting Yemen’s Houthis by purchasing materials for homemade explosives and drones and travelling to Yemen, US media reported on Friday.
Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, 51, of Richland, Washington, was arrested on Thursday and was due to make his first court appearance on Friday, according to CBS News, citing the US Justice Department.
What are the allegations?
The FBI alleges that Ellaboudy sought to help the Houthis improve their communications capabilities and travelled to Yemen last September, CBS News reported.
According to the Justice Department, Ellaboudy used a passport issued while he worked at the US Army Corps of Engineers to travel to Oman, which borders Yemen.
He faces charges under a US law that criminalises providing material support to organisations designated as foreign terrorist organisations. The Houthis are subject to that designation.
If convicted, Ellaboudy could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison, the Justice Department said.
Background to Yemen’s conflict
Yemen has been in conflict since the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and several provinces in 2014. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 in support of Yemen’s internationally recognised government.
