Al Mukalla: The Saudi-led coalition has announced that a primitive operation against Al Qaida hideouts in Yemen’s province of Hadramout has led to capturing a number of militants, including a leading figure and foiling terrorist attacks.
The coalition, which is backing Yemen government in its fight against Iran-backed Al Houthi militia, said in a statement that the coalition’s helicopters and Yemeni counterterrorism forces raided houses in Tawela district, north of Mukalla city, the capital of Hadramout where they captured Ahmad Saeed Awadh Barhma, who was described as a leading Al Qaida operative, and several others.
The security forces seized explosive materials and weapons and the militants were plotting an attack against government and coalition facilities in Mukalla.
Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula or AQAP has suffered fatal defeats last years when the UAE-backed army troops ousted their fighters from Mukalla, Yemen’s fifth largest city, and its neighbouring cities, Abyan, Lahj, Shabwa and some districts in Aden.
Yemeni government and the coalition have many times announced carrying successful raids against the militants and thwarting dozens of terrorist attacks.
Last month, local security services here in Mukalla said that the second most important AQAP figure in Hadramout, Abu Ali Al Sayari, was captured in a raid in Wadi Adem in Hadramout long valley.
Meanwhile, in the southern province of Taiz, the Ministry of Defence said on Sunday that government forces seized control of a chain of mountains and several villages in Al Wazyia district after heavy clashes with Al Houthi fighters. The ministry’s official news site, 26sepnews.net, quoted Colonel Abdul Baset Al Bahar, deputy spokesperson for Taiz front, as saying that government forces with the help of fighter jets from the Saudi-led coalition liberated a number of villages and surrounding mountains, west of Taiz city. Al Bahar said that government forces are now battling the rebels in their last territories in Al Wazyia district.
Also in Taiz province, government forces pushed back Al Houthis attack on their positions in Kadaha region and killed several Al Houthis.
Fighter jets from the Saudi-led coalition carried out on Saturday and Sunday dozens of air sorties across Yemen, hitting Al Houthi positions in Jawf, Hajja, Taiz, Shabwa and Hodeida.
In the country’s north, the Ministry of Defence said that army troops and allied tribesmen laid a siege on Ham military camp from three directions after taking control of several location in the nearby in Metoun district in the northern province of Jawf.
