Yemen: Hundreds of al-Qaeda fighters in Radda town ready to fend off Yemen armed forces
Security sources confirmed on Tuesday reports al-Qaeda militants sent several hundreds of their fighters to Radda - a town in al-Baydha province, south-east of the capital Sana’a - to fend off Yemen armed forces against their troops in the area.
On Monday, the Defense Ministry ordered an assault against al-Qaeda positions in Radda after negotiators failed to secure the release of three European hostages.
A bi-frontal attack — air and ground - on Monday at dawn led to the displacement of a reported 2,500 civilians - including many women and children - Local officials in al-Manaseh, a village believed to be an al-Qaeda stronghold said civilians had to flee the shelling and find refuge in nearby villages.
An official at the Defense Ministry confirmed that over 7,000 soldiers had been dispatched to Radda to contain and destroy al-Qaeda and outroot all terror cells in the region.