A Samta council official was attacked in a mosque by a local resident who blamed him for demolishing buildings in the village of Al-Rekouba in Najran. The aggressor, purportedly angry at the municipality's demolishing of buildings said to be encroaching on government property, had been threatening Muhammed Al-Talbi for five months, and finally confronted him with a punch in the face, leaving him with a torn retina in the right eye. Al-Talbi was taken to hospital as police alerted regional forces to the individual's identity, leading to his arrest several hours later as he reportedly attempted to enter Yemeni territory with a group of smugglers. Police investigators said that the attack was due to “personal motives” and that the aggressor had confessed to the incident. Al-Talbi said there was no “personal conflict” with his attacker, and that as a member of the municipal council his duty was to work in the interests of all citizens in the area without favoritism. “I would risk my life to stop anyone encroaching on government property,” Al
