Sana'a: Government troops and hundreds of civilians fighters in Lowder town, in the Abyan province celebrated yesterday complete victory against Al Qaida-linked fighters who unsuccessfully tried to occupy the town for more than a month. Local residents in the town said it cost them at least 60 lives to confront Al Qaida's attack.
"We are very happy today that we managed to remove the threat of Al Qaida. A month ago, Al Qaida fighters thought that it would only take them two hours to occupy our town. We defeated them and forced them to flee to Shougra in Abyan." Salah Al Duh, a member of the town's local council, told Gulf News by telephone.
"We would like to thank army troops and Republicans Guard forces who backed us in our fighting against Al Qaida. [The] Army opened ammunition stores for us and airstrikes were so helpful."
Eyewitnesses said a convoy of cars carrying heavy weapons were seen withdrawing from Lowder's suburbs and heading to the coastal town of Shougra, another Al Qaida stronghold in Abyan.
Government troops and local civilians gained the upper hand against Al Qaida fighters on Tuesday when they recaptured a strategic mountain that militants used to shell the town.
In the south, the ministry of defence said army forces gained "great" victories on the ground against Ansar Al Shaira fighters, Yemen's offshoot of Al Qaida in Zinjebar and Ja'ar in Abyan.
Congratulations
Yesterday, the ministry's website reported that government troops had killed at least 60 militants, including leaders, in the last two days of fierce fighting in Abyan.
Yemen's new president Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi sent a letter on Wednesday to security forces that combat Al Qaida in Abyan, congratulating them on their victories against militants in Abyan. Hadi reiterated his commitment to bring Al Qaida to their knees.
