Warplanes strike al-Qaida hideouts in south Yemen, 5 killed

August 19, 2011

Warplanes of the Yemeni air forces launched strikes Thursday evening targeting al-Qaida hideouts in the southern province of Abyan, leaving five members of the terrorist group killed, local army officers said.

A police station where the militants gathered in the coastal city of Shakra in Abyan was pounded in the airstrike, killing at least five al-Qaida militants, an officer and local residents told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, another army officer said that dozens of the al- Qaida militants carried out violent attacks at units of the government troops stationed in Dovas area, the outskirts of Aden province, in an attempt to make progress towards Aden.

Fierce battles were still going on in the area between the two sides, he added.

Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) recently took advantage of the fragile situation in Yemen amid continuous anti- government protests and insecurity to expand its military operations against the army forces in Yemen's southern and eastern main provinces.

Warplanes strike al-Qaida hideouts in south Yemen, 5 killed

August 19, 2011

Warplanes of the Yemeni air forces launched strikes Thursday evening targeting al-Qaida hideouts in the southern province of Abyan, leaving five members of the terrorist group killed, local army officers said.

A police station where the militants gathered in the coastal city of Shakra in Abyan was pounded in the airstrike, killing at least five al-Qaida militants, an officer and local residents told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, another army officer said that dozens of the al- Qaida militants carried out violent attacks at units of the government troops stationed in Dovas area, the outskirts of Aden province, in an attempt to make progress towards Aden.

Fierce battles were still going on in the area between the two sides, he added.

Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) recently took advantage of the fragile situation in Yemen amid continuous anti- government protests and insecurity to expand its military operations against the army forces in Yemen's southern and eastern main provinces.