Yemeni tribes battle al-Qaeda fighters in Abyan

2011-07-20 By Faisal Darem in Sanaa

Local tribesmen have played a key role in helping the Yemeni army drive al-Qaeda out of Abyan province. [Khaled Abdullah Ali al-Mahdi/Reuters]

The Yemeni Ministry of Defence announced on Tuesday (July 19th) that dozens of al-Qaeda fighters, including a leader in the organisation, were killed during clashes with the army in Abyan province.

The ministry said in a statement posted on its website that, according to military commanders in the 25 Mika brigade, government soldiers acting in co-operation with local tribesmen have tightened the noose around al-Qaeda terrorist elements inside the city of Zinjibar and the surrounding areas over the past two days.

The clashes left dozens of terrorists dead -- including a leader in the organization known as Abu Simbel -- and a large number wounded. Security forces also destroyed a terrorist weapons cache in the area of Hisn Shadad, and found sophisticated communication devices, sniper rifles, ammunition, and light and medium weapons.

Two Brigade soldiers were killed and eight others were wounded in the operation.

Ahmed al-Rahwi, deputy governor of Abyan, told al-Shorfa, "25 Mika Brigade forces are on the verge of seizing control of the city of Zinjibar, and have already deployed inside it and in its squares, especially in Martyrs' Square."

He said he expects security forces to liberate Zinjibar within the next two days.

Al-Rahwi said the armed forces have killed more than 50 terrorists in battles during the past few days, crediting the military reinforcements that broke the siege on the 25 Mika Brigade, as well as the co-operation of local tribes and Abyan citizens.

Government troops also regained control of the city of Shakra, near Zinjibar, and positions around it, expelling terrorist fighters from it in the process.

"Since late March until now, the falsity of the terrorists' claims are becoming apparent to citizens, particularly after their interests and homes were destroyed and the tribes ascertained the terrorists' identities and intentions to conduct sabotage and loot public property, " al-Rawhi said.

"[The tribes] reached out to a number of military commanders, making the ensuing tribal uprising a decisive factor in the army's favour in its battle against al-Qaeda," he added.

Abyan radio director Saleh al-Hanashi told Al-Shorfa that the co-operation of people in the region has put pressure on the terrorists, who used to launch attacks from the tribal areas with impunity.

"The co-operation of the tribes deprived terrorist elements of the freedom of movement, [forcing] many of them to disappear from view," he said, pointing to recent successes that broke the siege on the 25 Mika Brigade and allowed it to deploy in Zinjibar.

Mohammed al-Nahati, director of Modiya directorate in Abyan, said that tribal co-operation helped expel terrorists from Modiya and motivated neighbouring tribes to purge their areas of terrorists.

"The tribesmen are advancing towards the remaining areas, including Zinjibar, to liberate them and expel all the terrorists from every directorate in the province, after the people of Abyan discovered the truth about those terrorists who had come in the name of religion," al-Nahati said.

In its weekly meeting on Tuesday, the ministerial cabinet expressed its appreciation for the grassroots efforts being made by the sons of Abyan province in support of the security forces' mission to eliminate al-Qaeda and sweep its elements out of the directorates. The cabinet also praised the performance of the armed forces in hunting down the remnants of al-Qaeda terrorists.

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READER COMMENTS

mostafa

2011-8-23

Yemen is among the countries which have suffered the most from terrorism and its criminal acts, which affected the civilians and the life in Yemen. The terrorist Al-Qaeda organization has many rules, cells and followers in some Yemeni governorates, especially in the southern governorates in which the Al-Qaeda organization and its criminal elements are trying in the present time to impose their control over it. They are exploiting the disturbances that Yemen and its people are going through, and even its leadership, as a result of the demonstrations and revolutions which the Yemeni people launched in order to overthrow its regime and bring about a change.
layla

2011-8-20

I hope they succeed in this great task, to avoid, limit and end this criminal organization’s threats and to not allow it to return to the land of Yemen again.
نهاد

2011-8-20

Only God is capable of granting victory over Al Qaeda. Therefore, in this honorable month, we have to pray for them, because they are heroes who have contributed to solving the problem of Al Qaeda. After the threat of the Al Qaeda terrorist organization started to increase in Yemen, and after the terrorists working under Al Qaeda’s umbrella started to come out of their hiding places and commit acts of extermination, bombings and murder targeting civilians, I believe that the threat of this terrorist organization to Yemen is bigger than it was before. Yemen today is busy with the domestic events and the demonstrations that kept most Yemeni army and security forces busy with coping with these demonstrations and events that swept through Yemen and its people. The genuine Yemeni tribesmen couldn’t help but say their final word against this terrorist organization that threatens their existence and the existence and pride of their countries. As such, these genuine tribes stood up to strike against the dens of evil and limit the spread of this organization or its coming back to Yemen once more. We do praise the courageous and heroic work Yemeni tribes are doing in Yemen in their battle against terrorism. I hope these genuine tribes will have courage and victory to put a limit to this great danger that threatens Yemen. I hope they succeed in this patriotic mission of theirs and tighten their grip on the Al Qaeda organization members in Abyan governorate and limit their role, so as not to allow this terrorist organization and its criminal members to extend their control over Abyan governorate and to use it as a launching point for the Al Qaeda organization and its criminal acts. I believe that the excommunicating Al Qaeda organization is planning to make Abyan governorate a launching point for all its operations and excommunicating and inciting radical ideas, because it wants to spread these ideas among Yemeni people, especially since it is currently exploiting the events taking place in Yemen.
جراح

2011-8-20

Don’t be in a hurry to make them leave; allow them to understand the disaster. Enjoy seeing their false arrogance and their shaky solidarity. Let them taste the bitter taste of deterioration, which is even more bitter because they didn’t imagine they deserve this; not just to be defeated, but to be defeated this way, on video, with audio and before the eyes of the entire world.
hayder

2011-8-17

The dawn follows the night and the chain has to break. Here are the Yemeni people manifesting the most wonderful images of heroism and victory over oppression and tyrants, after many years and sacrifices, for the sake of liberation and salvation from the al-Qaeda organization, which harmed all the peoples of the world. But unfortunately, Yemen was chosen to be the victim on which the most harm was inflicted, due to the acts of this excommunicating and corrupt organization, which ruined the Yemeni people and the land of Ma’rib, which was the birthplace of the divine messages. This land and its pure soil gave birth to the greatest heroes who have been celebrated by history throughout the ages. The Yemeni people today are restoring the glory of their ancestors once more, and are adding new heroism to their record of heroism and sacrifices against oppression and tyranny. It is well known by everyone that the al-Qaeda organization played the title role in Yemen when it stirred strife between the people of Yemen to weaken and control them, as it followed the motto: “Divide and conquer.” One of the governorates that was most damaged by the terrorist acts in Yemen is Abyan Governorate. It was turned into a bloody battlefield in which many forces clashed, because the Yemeni people in Abyan Governorate cooperated with the armed forces and the Yemeni army to destroy their one enemy, which is the al-Qaeda organization. It murdered many Yemenis after the Yemeni tribes tightened the screws on the armed members of al-Qaeda, because the members of the Yemeni tribes in Abyan Governorate had a political role in assisting the police and kicking many of the men of this terrorist organization out, after they had centralized in Abyan Governorate and turned it into their stronghold. The concerned authorities in Yemen declared that with the assistance of the tribesmen who tightened the screws on the terrorists, they killed tens of them. One of the things that show good promise is the fact that among those who were killed was a prominent leader of the al-Qaeda organization who was present in Yemen, in addition to injuring many of them, and also destroying the storage of weapons that contained bombs, explosives and light and medium weapons. Therefore, al-Qaeda has failed miserably all over the world and in Yemen, because of the cooperation of the people of Yemen and its heroic tribesmen, who tightened the screws on the al-Qaeda organization.
سامح رجب

2011-8-9

God willing, the Lord of the World. I sincerely pray that he will eradicate terrorism at the right time and as soon as possible, in order to maintain security in Yemen. The eradication of al-Qaeda in the province of Abyan is a sign that the soldiers and the national police officers are strong, brave heroes. Moreover, many tribes cooperated with the army in order to eradicate terrorism and terrorists from the cowardly al-Qaeda. This organization took advantage of the situation in Yemen in order to carry out its cruel operations against the innocent citizens. After the escape of the military commander and the deteriorated security situation, terrorists wanted to cause trouble and carry out violent acts. We support the heroic security forces and wish them the best of luck. God willing, they will achieve victory and totally get rid of terrorism and terrorists. As Arabs, we are asking the heroic security forces to fight and eradicate terrorism once and for all, in order to spread peace, goodness and love in Yemen. We hope that the situation returns to normal and even better than before, and that we have all kinds of building and reconstruction. Again, I would like to thank the brave security forces. I also hope that they will do more and more and assume their responsibilities. They have to be more courageous for the sake of Yemen and its poor people, who have suffered much. God is the only savior.
layla

2011-8-9

If al-Qaeda takes control of Yemen, the country will be subjected to turmoil, sabotage, destruction, bombing and murder. Yemen, God forbid, will witness an unprecedented bloodshed. In addition, saboteurs and deviant groups will take control of the situation, making a great gap between Yemenis. Thus, the current events taking place in Yemen are a crime against humanity and an assault on human rights. In fact, people have always suffered a lot of injustice, tyranny, oppression, hunger, poverty, corruption and unemployment, which affect the majority of Yemenis. Therefore, the events taking place in Yemen are unfortunate and sad at the same time. They are criminal acts against humanity and citizens’ rights in Yemen.
الصلوى

2011-7-26

I swear al-Qaeda is an illusion and Saleh is the one who planted it.
الاسماعيلي

2011-7-22

The terrorist al-Qaeda organization is one of the most dangerous criminal organizations to our societies, because of the criminal acts it commits, which damage us and our countries and all the remaining countries of the world as well. The terrorist al-Qaeda organization practices other acts of criminality, in addition to the crimes of killing and bombings, which are no less dangerous than the murders and bloodshed. These acts are treacherous acts of brainwashing the youth and misleading them with their deviant ideas. This criminal organization has been trying for years to spread its excommunicating ideology among the youth, to try and brainwash some of them, especially those who are vulnerable to being affected by these ideas. This organization seeks to try to drag the youth through the darkness and the misguided, suspicious ideas it upholds.