Assault on Yemeni government forces leaves nine dead - may Allah have mercy on the victims
As-salamu alaykum. A commander said that an extremist group carried out an attack on Yemen’s internationally recognised government on Tuesday, killing nine people from both sides. May Allah grant sabr to the families.
Brig Gen Nasr Atef Al Yafei reported that the militants launched what he described as a large-scale terrorist assault on a government compound in Abyan governorate. According to him, the attackers used two car bombs. Government forces detonated one bomb near the main gate, and other members of the group attempted to force their way into the building.
The general said security forces killed five suicide attackers wearing explosive belts, and that four soldiers were killed in the clashes. A medical source in Abyan confirmed the deaths of the four soldiers and said 15 people were wounded.
"The forces were able to thwart a large-scale terrorist attack this morning," the general said, adding that troops regained full control of the situation and remained on high alert to secure the area.
Information Minister Moammar Eryani called the attack cowardly and said 14 soldiers were injured. He alleged that extremist groups were coordinating with the Iran-backed Houthi movement in a campaign against the government.
Mohamed Al Sahimi, a representative of the Aden-based Southern Transitional Council (STC), said its First Support and Reinforcement Brigade was struck by the attackers. He warned that links between extremist groups in the south and west of Yemen and the Houthis in the north have strengthened.
Al Sahimi appealed for greater support for his movement's counter-terrorism efforts, saying the STC is one of the groups actively fighting militants on the ground and asking for more coordination and international backing to prevent the threat from growing.
The STC, which seeks greater autonomy for the south, holds seats on Yemen’s Presidential Council based in Aden. Yemen’s internationally recognised government relocated to Aden after Houthi forces forced them out of Sanaa in 2014.
Al Sahimi said his movement has raised concerns with international partners about the growing Houthi attacks and their alleged cooperation with extremist groups, warning that without support the problem could expand beyond Yemen and threaten the wider region.
Background: Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) formed in 2009 from Yemeni and Saudi branches and was once seen as a particularly dangerous affiliate. It grew amid Yemen’s conflict, though its attacks have declined in recent years.
May Allah protect the innocent, heal the wounded, and grant justice to those responsible. Please keep the victims and their families in your duas.
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