Gunman killed, four wounded in Shabwa clashes

SAHBWA, April 13 (YPA) – A gunman was killed and four recruits were wounded on Sunday after breaking out armed clashes in the city of Ataq, the provincial capital of Shabwa.

Local sources in the city said that clashes erupted between armed men from the so-called “counter-terrorism” force, who had arrived from Abyan, and the “Shabwa Defense” factions at the entrance to Ataq.

The sources explained that the “Shabwa Defense pushed dozens of armored vehicles and military vehicles to storm a house located in “Plan 611” in the city of Ataq after encircling it, which was contained a number of terrorist elements.

Additionally, a number of wanted gunmen surrendered themselves after the clashes.

The sources revealed that the operation targeted members and leaders of Al-Qaeda, including foreigners, one of whom holds the Saudi citizenship, as well as members of the Islah Party in Ataq.

The report indicated that the terrorist cell led by the Saudi leader acts as a coordinator between terrorist elements in Somalia, Yemen, and Syria, and was one of those who planned the assassination of the commander of the Shabwa Defense Brigade, Ahmed Mohsen al-Sulaymani al-Awlaqi, with an explosive device in last October.

This came after a drone targeted a car on Saturday near the gate of the Second Shabwa Defense Brigade camp, killing an unidentified man whose charred body was transferred to a hospital morgue in the city.

Last week, Saudi Al-Qaeda leader Ahmed al-Qahtani, who named Fawaz al-Qasimi, was assassinated by unknown gunmen inside a mosque in the Al-Wadi district, east of Islah Party factions-held Marib city.

AA