Yemeni forces clash with 20 al-Qaeda militants in Abyan

Clashes in southern Yemen between Islamic militants and government forces Violent clashes between al-Qaeda militants and government forces took place on Sunday evening in the southern Yemeni province of Abyan, local sources have reported. The anonymous sources told Arabstoday that 20 al-Qaeda operatives attacked military stations near the coastal city of Shaqra, sparking clashes with armed soldiers, who were forced to use artillery, machine guns and Katuysha rockets to disperse the militants. Despite the use of weapons, no fatalities have been reported.
According to reports, al-Qaeda members were seen distributing leaflets warning a pro-government militia – the Popular Committee – to abandon checkposts along the province’s main roads. The leaflet warned that those who refused to comply would be killed by al-Qaeda militants.
The Popular Committee has worked with the Yemeni army in recent years to successfully drive out al-Qaeda members from Abyan and Shabwah, after the extremist group took over the region just 18 months earlier, declaring it an “Islamic principality”. Despite the success of the campaign, al-Qaeda still carries out occasional attacks and suicide bombings against government targets and Popular Committee members.
This is the latest development in the turmoil that continues to engulf the country after a navy commander survived a failed assassination in the southern city of Aden on Sunday.
Al-Qaeda  are being blamed for an attempted attack on admiral Radman Ghanem after security sources told Arabstoday that experts dismantled an explosive package attached to the bottom of the official's car on Sunday.
Meanwhile, sources in Abyan have revealed that Popular Committee members managed to capture nine al-Qaeda operatives in the city of Jaar on Sunday. The men are believed to be responsible for a suicide attack on a Popular Committee gathering last week which killed more than 30 people.