Air Force fighters belonging to the Saudi-led Arab coalition yesterday morning successfully wiped out Al Qaida strongholds in the Upper Directorate of Shabwa, as part of ‘Operation Decisive Sword’, which began early yesterday to crack down on terrorism.
The Shabwan Elite Forces carrying out the operation have already secured control of important locations and roads in the area.
According to reports from the field, a number of Al Qaida members have surrendered as a result. This operation is not only critical but must be supported by the international community as the scourge of Al Qaida is not only felt by Yemenis but by the world at large. The Al Qaida branch in Yemen is the deadliest branch that serves as the command centre for the entire global organisation. This is why there are US troops actively involved in the fight there and that’s why the Saudi-led coalition and specifically the UAE have resolutely responded to the threat and dedicated resources and manpower to eradicate the group once and for all.
Since the ouster of late Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh, and especially since the start of the Saudi-led coalition’s intervention in Yemen to uphold the legitimacy of the country’s internationally recognised government, Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has tried to take advantage of the security vacuum in some areas of Yemen. In April 2016, the UAE launched a large-scale operation against AQAP and other terrorist organisations in Yemen, which resulted in significantly reducing acts of terror committed in various Yemeni governorates.
