Three al-Qaeda militants killed in south Yemen

Aug 8, 2011

Sana'a - At least three al-Qaeda militants were killed and an unknown number wounded in military raids Monday in Yemen's southern Abyan governorate, a Yemeni security official reported.

Yemeni army personnel supported by military planes targeted Islamist positions, pressuring al-Qaeda forces to retreat, the source said.

Since March, Abyan capital Zinjibar has been under the control of al-Qaeda forces after a group calling themselves 'al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula' declared the city an 'Islamic emirate.'

The group, which has reportedly taken advantage of anti-government protests gripping the country since February, has been carrying out terrorist attacks in the governorate.

The country's political opposition, which is demanding that President Ali Abdullah Saleh leave office after 32 years in power, accuses him of handing over the province to militants in an attempt to scare Western countries into supporting his bid to remain in power.