At least 27 dead in clashes between separatists and Al-Qaeda members in Yemen

Twenty-one separatist fighters and at least six al-Qaeda members were killed today in an attack launched by the jihadist group in southern Yemen, government sources told AFP.

According to these sources, members of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) attacked positions of the separatist forces of the Southern Transitional Council in the governorate of Abyan.

The three-hour battle “killed 21 soldiers, including an officer” and six al-Qaeda fighters, a government official said. Other sources close to the security forces confirmed this account.

The war that has raged in Yemen since 2014 has pitted the country’s government forces, backed by a Saudi-led military coalition, against the Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran. The rebels control the capital Sanaa and large areas in the north and west.

However, the forces opposing the Houthis are diverse: among them are the separatists who received today’s attack by al-Qaeda. They are part of the so-called “Safe Zone” force which is trained and equipped by the United Arab Emirates and hopes to establish an independent South Yemen state, as it was until 1990.

The “Safety Zone” has undertaken the protection of the southern regions of Yemen which, having access to the sea and the Horn of Africa, are of particular interest to the Emirates.

Armed groups, including AQAP, are benefiting from the chaos caused by the war, which is launching attacks against everyone: it has attacked both the Houthis and government forces. Recently, the “Safe Zone” forces announced that they are launching a “large-scale” military operation against terrorists in Abyan.

RES-EMP

Read the News today and get the latest news.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news.