Yemen: Military operations against terrorist group al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) ongoing in Shabwa province
The clashes are continuing between the army and Al-Qaeda in Yemen’s Southeastern Province of Shabwa, the Defense and Interior Ministries as well as Shabwa Governor and local officials have said.
The battlefield is the Al-Hawtah town, the largest in Shabwa, and the confrontations are running not far from the area where the botched bombing of the LNG pipeline took place last week, they said.
Among the terrorist fighters are foreigners, and militants took over homes in the area and displaced the people. According to Shabwa Governor Ali Al-Ahmedi and Secretary General of the Local Council, who also said that the army and special counter terrorism forces are besieging the region and will not leave it until the terrorists surrender.
The confrontations started on Friday after suspected al-Qaeda militants ambushed a security patrol killing and injuring soldiers and civilians on Thursday, the Interior Ministry has previously said.