ADEN, Aug 7 (NNN-SABA) – Yemeni government army said yesterday, it launched a major military operation, targeting hideouts of al-Qaeda militants, in the country’s southern province of Abyan.
The operation’s primary focus is on the province’s Mudiyah district, where numerous al-Qaeda militants have sought refuge, in distant valleys and mountainous terrain, the government army said, in an official statement.
The large-scale anti-terror operation has already led to the capture of a mid-level al-Qaeda commander named, Abu al-Qaqa, it added.
“Government troops have successfully taken up positions at the entrance to the Wadi Omran area and in villages that have seen terrorist attacks on security forces blamed on al-Qaeda,” a military official said.
The military campaign comes, as Yemen continues to grapple with violence and instability, stemming from years-long civil war between Houthi rebels and the internationally recognised government.
On Saturday, two soldiers of Yemen’s government forces were killed and six others injured, when a roadside bomb ripped through their vehicle near the entrance of the Mudiyah district.
Abyan and other neighbouring southern Yemeni provinces have seen an increase in violence between Yemeni government forces and al-Qaeda militants in recent months.– NNN-SABA
