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Yemeni army kills 4 al-Qaida hard boys in Abyan
At least four al-Qaida militants were killed Saturday in armed clashes with units of the Yemeni armed forces in the turbulent southern province of Abyan, a military official told Xinhua. Up to 10 al-Qaida militants armed with automatic rifles attacked an army patrol in the coastal town of Shakra in Abyan province, sparking a short gun battle that left at least four insurgents killed, the local military official said on condition of anonymity. The army troops supported by pro-government tribal fighters chased the al-Qaida attackers, and shelled their position with mortars and heavy-machine guns, the official said. An army soldier who was involved in the clashes told Xinhua anonymously that "three army members were injured and a military's vehicle was set ablaze in the armed confrontation with al-Qaida militants." A local resident said that heavy machine-gun fire and explosions are still ranging out across several neighborhoods in Shakra. On Friday, a prominent commander of a tribal militia fighting al-Qaida militants in Abyan survived an assassination attempt safely and unharmed, but two of his bodyguards were killed. Gunmen of the Yemen-based al-Qaida offshoot were likely behind the botched assassination bid, according to a Yemeni security official. Posted by: Steve White 2012-09-10 |
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