Al-Qaeda militants seize town of Radhom in southeastern Yemen

By Fatik al-Rodaini

SANA'A: March 25, 2012 -Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, (AQAP) seized on Saturday a town in Yemen's southeastern province of Shabwa.

Sources said that the militants seized the town of Radhom.

In related news, a car bomb went off in Modiyah town, Abyan Governorate, south Yemen, on Saturday.

The blast resulted in neither human nor material damage as it hit in an unpopulated area, the Yemeni Ministry of Interior said in a statement.

Another roadside bomb exploded near the house of chief of the popular committees of the Lowdar town in Abyan the statement said, noting that the explosion left no casualties.

Meanwhile, a hand grenade was thrown at the backdoor of a government building in Rasd town, also in Abyan.

The attack resulted in minor material damage.

The statement added that gunmen shot at the electricity directorate of Hadramawt Governorate, east Yemen, from a speeding car wounding a soldier.

The security services accuse the terrorist Al-Qaeda organization of perpetrating the attacks.

Furthermore, local news website said that clashes between Yemeni troops and militants linked to AQAP erupted on Saturday night in Yemen's southern province of Lahj.

The website said that militants attacked the Security headquarters in the province. No more details were reported.

Earlier this month AQAP declared that Yemen’s southern province of Shabwa had become an Islamic Emirate. With the province of Abyan being under the control of the group, Shabwa is the latest southern province to have fallen to Ansar al Sharia in less than a year.

The Islamic militia posted on several jihadi websites a statement confirming their control over the province with photos highlighting their activities in the region.

Yemen Interior Ministry warned on its website against a potential terrorist attacks which would target vital economic installations in the country’ southeastern province of Hadramout.

The Ministry said that at least 300 AQAP elements were already deployed in Azzan town, in the Shabwa province, amongst whom were Ibrahim Al-Banaa, an Egyptian national, Qassem Al-Raimi, a military leader, and Shaker Hamel, who is described as the most dangerous elements of the Al-Qaeda. The Islamists are believed to be preparing for a series of attacks on local representatives and security facilities in the province.

Moreover the group is said to be planning a further expansion of its “Islamic Emirate” by seizing Mukallah, the regional capital of Hadramaut.

Earlier, Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for a string of attacks in Yemen, including an assault on soldiers that left scores dead in the southern province of Abyan as well the bombing of a military plane in al-Dalaimi air force base in Sana’a, the capital.

In a statement posted on several jihadi websites, AQAP claimed Abyan operation against Dofes and Kud bases saying, on Sunday, ‘the mujahedeen carried out a series of operations against government forces deployed at the entrances of Zinjibar,’ the regional capital of the Abyan province.

The extremists claimed that ‘around 100 soldiers and officers were killed while 12 others were wounded and 73 held captive’ in the assault.

The statement also demanded the Yemeni government release militants were held in exchange for the lives of the 73 soldiers they hold.

On its Wednesday’s statement, AQAP claimed responsibility for a string of attacks on security forces across the war-torn and often lawless south and southeast regions.

This new wave of violence and attacks comes amidst renewed threats against the American Language Institute in Aden, AMIDEAST as reported previously on Bikyamasr.com.