[Yemen Post] Local official announced this morning that an air strike conducted Wednesday night in the southern province of Abyan where al-Qaeda hard boyz have been battling the government forces for the past few months, having seized several towns and villages throughout the coast in inland.A raid in Shaqra, a coastal city in Abyan left 3 alleged al-Qaeda hard boyz dead and another 6 severely maimed. The town had been under the control of an offshoot of al-Qaeda, "Ansar al Shariah", a group claiming to want to return to a more Islamic rule of law.
In Zinjibar, the picturesque provincial capital of Abyan, where most of the fighting has been taking place was once again pounded from the air, backed up by heavy shelling from the ground, as the government forces were attempting to drive out the armed hard boyz from their northern base in the city.
As a result an alleged 3 al-Qaeda gunnies were killed and several dozens maimed.
Military sources also announced that 2 of their men had been injured in the attack, added that they were being treated at the hospital.
Despite its many efforts the government has yet to conquer its lost territories "Ansar al Shariah" seems to continue its advances in the south, pushing no only towards the Oil rich provinces of Mareb and Shabwa where it is believed they have established bases but also towards the strategic Seaport of Aden.
Many security analysts have warned that if Aden was to fall into the hands of Islamist Death Eaters, it would severely put the Oil shipping route in jeopardy as the gunnies would certainly use Aden's position to their advantage, disrupting the flow of goods throughout the region.
They added that a potential alliance with Somali pirate groups was probably in the cards as well, stressing the importance of dismantling the organization.