Islah militants begin using Turkish drones in Abyan

ABYAN, Sept. 22 (YPA) – Forces loyal to the Islah party have begun using Turkish drone aircraft in battles against the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces in southern Yemen’s Abyan province.

The STC militias said they had observed the flight of aircraft flying over its positions on Monday, in conjunction with heavy weapons clashes.

Sources had earlier revealed that the Islah Party forces had received drones from Turkey, and had trained a number of their militants in Shabwah and Hadramout to use the drones.

The UAE warplanes have bombed positions of forces loyal to Hadi and the Al-Islah party in eastern Zinjibar district.

Separately, a military battalion of forces loyal to Hadi’s government withdrew from the lines of confrontations with the STC’s militias in the Sheikh Salem front east of Zinjibar in Abyan province.

Military sources said that the 1st Battalion of the 30th Brigade, the axis of Ataq, led by the Ahmed Lashqm, withdrew from its positions in Shuqrah in protest against the looting dues and salaries  of the battalion by the commander of the axis .

According to the sources, the battalion would weaken Hadi’s forces as one of the most important military battalions in the brigade.

The province of Abyan is witnessing a state of chaos due to conflict between Islah and STC forces.

E.M