Authorities in the Yemeni city of Taiz and surrounding areas have stepped up security measures around the offices of international organizations and have approved a ban on carrying weapons.

The new measures were introduced days after a World Food Program (WFP) staff member was shot and killed by unknown gunmen in Turbah in southern Taiz.

Official sources revealed that Taiz Governor Nabil Shamsan and members of the security committee met in the southern Taiz countryside and approved the tightened measures and weapons ban.

They agreed to boost security checkpoints at the entrances and exits of the city to help further strengthen security measures.

The officials discussed Moayad Hameidi’s assassination and the latest progress in the investigation into it.

The Taiz governor later met with UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen David Gressly as part of efforts to contain the fallout from the assassination and assure relief groups over their work in Yemen.

He was briefed on the security measures adopted by the police and security forces to arrest the suspects, revealing that 20 people have been detained in connection to the crime.

Shamsan told Gressly that local authorities are keen on involving UN investigators in the probe and will brief them on the latest developments until the perpetrators are found.

He hoped that the killing will not affect humanitarian work in Taiz.

For his part, Gressly stressed the need to strengthen security measures and prevent similar incidents that may impact humanitarian work and the delivery of aid.

Meanwhile, the family of the primary suspect in the murder, Ahmed Youssef al-Sarra, denied his involvement. They said they have proof that he was in the al-Fayoush region in the Lahj governorate at the time of the crime.