AL-MUKALLA: Al-Qaeda militants killed at least 26 people on Tuesday when they assaulted a military installation guarded by Yemeni security forces in the southern province of Abyan, the group’s bloodiest strike in months.
The attack on a Security Belt Forces site in Ahwar, according to Mohammed Al-Naqeeb, a spokesperson for pro-independence southern forces, resulted in hours of hard battle and the deaths of 20 soldiers, including local security chief Col. Yasser Nasser Shayae, and six terrorists.
“Our soldiers were able to neutralize all of the attackers’ weaponry, including heavy and light machine guns, RPGs, and grenades,” Al-Naqeeb stated.
The raid comes as military and security services attempt to retake control of numerous hilly and rural districts in the south that have long been considered safe havens for insurgents.
Yemeni soldiers have generally succeeded in preventing Al-attempts Qaeda’s to regroup and thereby reclaim cities in southern regions, thanks to assistance from the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen.
Yemeni troops have been driving militants out of Al-Mukalla, the capital of the southeastern province of Hadramout, Zinjbar and other Abyan cities, as well as Lahj province, since early 2016. Hundreds of soldiers have been killed or injured in Al-Qaeda attacks throughout the years.
Despite efforts to combat them, residents of Abyan have recently reported seeing militants setting up checkpoints in distant regions, attacking people, and kidnapping security and military officials.
Following the latest attack, officials have called for additional international support for security and military troops.
“We are dealing with the world’s largest terrorist organization, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.” If we were successful in destroying them, the entire world would benefit, not just the south,” Al-Naqeeb added.
The head of the Consultations and Reconciliation Commission, which advises the Presidential Leadership Council, Mohammed Al-Ghaithi, stated that peace would not occur until all terrorist organizations and those who support them were annihilated.
He also requested military assistance so that soldiers could combat Al-Qaeda and other armed groups.
“Peace and stability can be achieved only by completely eliminating terrorism and its followers,” he stated.
“Friends, partners, and friends from across the world and in our region must accept full responsibility for our military’s fight against terrorism, including the need to support our troops as they face this extraordinarily lethal common threat.”
Source: Arab News