Al-Qaeda achieves advance in Abyan

ABYAN, March 18 (YPA) – Armed elements of the terrorist al-Qaeda organization achieved great advance at the expense of the UAE-affiliated militias in Abyan province, southern Yemen.

Local sources said that the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC)’s militia withdrew from the outskirts of Omran Valley Camp and from some sites in al-Mahfad city, after being exposed to many ambushes and explosive devices.

The withdrawal of STC’s militias from the districts of Mudiya and al-Mahfed came after their failure to extend the full control over the two districts, and the great suffering in lives and equipment, as a result of the guerrilla war and the explosive devices that al-Qaeda has carried out for months against the leaders and sites of the STC militias.

This came after the failure of many attempt by the STC militias to take control of Omran Valley camp, which is the largest military stronghold of al-Qaeda in Mudiya district.

Several leaders of the UAE-affiliated armed factions have directly accused the Saudi-backed Islah Party of employing armed groups loyal to al-Qaeda members in the confrontation that took place in Abyan, Shabwa and Hadramout, as part of the escalation of the “Saudi-Emirati” conflict.

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