Armed clashes erupted against al-Qaeda in Abyan

ABYAN, Aug 14 (YPA) – Armed clashes erupted on Sunday between the factions of the UAE-funded Southern Transitional Council (STC) and al-Qaeda militants in Mudiya district of Abyan province, south of Yemen.

Security sources familiar with the matter said that the STC militias imposed their control over the strategic sites of Al-Hajla, which are controlled by terrorist elements backed by gunmen loyal to Islah Party in the district.

The sources confirmed that the clashes led to killing and wounding between the two sides, various types of weapons.

The terrorist elements withdrew towards the mountain range between Abyan and Shabwa, after pro-Islah leaders pushed dozens of armed men from Shabwa to confront the STC factions in Mudiya, during the past hours.

For the past two days, the STC has pushed military reinforcements towards Mudiya, following the killing of the leader of the “security belt” factions in Abyan, Abdul-Latif al-Sayed, in addition to the tribal sheikh, Mohammed Karid al-Jaadi, last Thursday, with an explosive device in Wadi al-Radf, amid Islah activists’ suspicions that the UAE was behind the operation.

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