Women are now taking up arms alongside men as the battle for control of Aden in southern Yemen intensifies. Photos of armed women have begun circulating on social media pages of Southern Yemeni groups fighting against the Iranian-backed rebels on April 7.

Carrying AK-47s and at times draped in Yemen’s southern flag, with its distinctive blue triangle and red star, the women are seen inspecting cars and serving food. While the armed women may not be part of active combat, they are becoming and important part of the visual symbolism for the South’s resistance efforts, and an inspiration to others who might wish to demonstrate their loyalty to their city and help keep the Houthi threat at bay.

“They help raising the morale and they help with medical treatment”, Aden-based activist, Majed Azan, told Vocativ. Azen emphasized that for now the armed women’s only task is to man security checkpoints inside the city, adding that the women of Aden also fulfill a critical role in the local hospitals treating the sick and the injured and moving medical equipment between hospitals.

حرائر الجنوب في عدن لم يقفن مكتوفات الايدي بل حملن اسلحتهن يدافعن عن عدن #عدن_تنتصر الله أكبر الله أكبر الله أكبر pic.twitter.com/PE2bWVrt1t — بنت عدن واخت الرجال (@amert33alrab) April 7, 2015

Translation: “the free women of the South don’t stand still, but they carry their own arms defending Aden – Allah Akbar #Adenshallprevail”

Translation: “the women of Aden are participating in the resistance to the occupation (by the Iranian backed rebels) and serving food”