ADEN, Nov 20 (NNN-YPA) – At least four soldiers of Yemen’s government forces were killed in an explosion, in the country’s southern province of Abyan yesterday, a military official said.
“Elements of the Yemen-based al-Qaeda branch detonated an Improvised Explosive Device which struck a military vehicle of the government troops, in a valley in Mudiyah district, north-east of Abyan province,” the local military official said, on condition of anonymity.
The explosion, masterminded by al-Qaeda, destroyed the military vehicle and left four soldiers dead, as well as, five others critically injured at the scene, said the official.
Following the explosion, the government forces dispatched an anti-terror military unit into the bombing area, to track down the perpetrators, according to the official.
Earlier this month, military units of the Southern Transitional Council, which is part of Yemen’s government, announced they were launching “a qualitative anti-terror operation and succeeded in raiding a key hideout of the al-Qaeda in Abyan.”
Scores of al-Qaeda militants frequently use hit-and-run tactics against Yemeni government forces, while hiding out in rocky terrains and mountainous areas of Abyan and other neighbouring provinces.
The Yemen-based al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula network, has exploited years of deadly conflict between the Yemeni government and the Houthi militia, to expand its presence in the country. It has carried out many high-profile attacks against the security forces, in the country’s southern provinces.– NNN-YPA
