Yemeni air strikes kill two al-Qaida militants in south

map by Evan Centanni(www.polgeonow.com)

ADEN, Yemen, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Two Yemeni airstrikes hit a gathering of al-Qaida militants in the troubled southern province of Abyan on Thursday, killing two insurgents, a security official told Xinhua.

Fighter jets of the Yemeni air forces pounded a gathering of the al-Qaida militants on the eastern outskirts of Mahfad town in Abyan, leaving at least two insurgents killed and three others injured, the local security official spoke on condition of anonymity.

Militant sources confirmed to Xinhua the death of two al-Qaida insurgents believed to be behind a series of deadly attacks in Abyan.

"The air bombing is going to have a very significant impact on the activities of al-Qaida militants... Their movement in Abyan is going to be disrupted during the coming days," the security official said.

"The military is doing enough to eliminate terrorists living in the mountainous areas of Abyan," he added.

Yemeni security authorities usually accuse militants of the Yemen-based al-Qaida offshoot of being behind armed attacks against military officials and army bases.

Attacks and raids have continued since the country's political turmoil last year, when scores of al-Qaida militants took control of certain areas in the restive south but were later pushed out by a U.S.-backed offensive.

The United States has used its drones to support the Yemeni military campaign that aimed to crush al-Qaida operations in the impoverished Arab country.

from XINHUA
2012-09-21 00:57:21

Posted in: Abyan, Abyan Governorate, ADEN, al-Qaida, alqaeda, Yemen