Dubai: The Yemeni army tightened security in and around the newly -liberated city of Al Mukalla on Monday, after a blast claimed by Daesh on Sunday targeted a police station.
A military source speaking to SkyNews Arabia said the death toll from Sunday’s explosion rose from 26 to 41 overnight. Plain-clothed Yemeni troops were seen raiding houses in many districts in the city where Daesh and Al Qaida militants were said to be hiding following the attack.
The attack is the second in the city of Al Mukalla since April 24 when government forces backed by air support from Saudi-led Arab coalition warplanes recaptured the coastal regions of the province from Al Qaida.
Al Qaida had held the city since April last year. Since its liberation, Yemeni forces in the city have arrested over 250 Al Qaida militants.
The first major bombing happened last Thursday when a man driving a car laden with explosive material detonated it outside a navy base in Khalef region, outside the old city, killing six government-allied armed men and injuring at least a dozen.
Al Qaida occupied the city for a year, and imposed strict Islamic law on residents.
Special forces from the UAE, a member of a Saudi-led coalition battling Al Houthi militants across Yemen, played a major role in retaking Al Mukalla.
Last week, the United States said that “a very small number” of American soldiers were also involved in the operation
Meanwhile, Yemen government forces and resistance fighters have repelled an attack by Iran-backed Al Houthi militants and forces allied to ousted Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh in the northern province of Jawf. Meanwhile in Taiz, renewed clashes between Yemeni resistance forces and Al Houthi militants continued.
