Aden: Yemeni forces backed by air power from the Saudi-led Arab coalition launched an operation on Saturday to drive Al Qaida fighters out of a southern provincial capital, military officials said.
Forces loyal to President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi in Abyan province advanced towards Zinjibar and the neighbouring town of Jaar, the sources said.
Soldiers reached Al Kud, five kilometres south of Zinjibar where they clashed with Al Qaida fighters, while coalition Apache helicopters targeted extremist positions in the vicinity, according to the officials.
Twelve Al Qaida militants and three soldiers died in the fighting, a military official said.
Government forces last week expelled militants of the terrorist network’s local branch – Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula – from Houta, the provincial capital of Lahj, as part of a widespread operation to secure southern provinces.
Coalition-backed forces have driven militants out of Aden, the southern city declared by Hadi as temporary capital after Al Houthi rebels stormed Sana’a in September 2014.
The Arab coalition launched a military operation in support of Hadi in March last year after rebels advanced on Aden, where he had temporarily set up base, forcing him into exile in Riyadh.
But pro-government forces managed over the summer to wrest back control of Aden and four other provinces thanks to the support of coalition firepower.
The coalition recently turned its attention to terrorists, backing pro-government forces against Aqap and Daesh terrorists, who have taken advantage of the chaos to strengthen their grip on southern Yemen.
The operation comes as representatives of the government and the Iran-backed rebels continue with UN-sponsored peace talks in Kuwait, which began on Thursday.
