Asia

Asia

Al-Qaida claims six attacks on security forces in southern Yemen

08 September 2010 01:26 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The Yemen-based al-Qaida claimed responsibility for six deadly attacks against the country’s security forces over the few past weeks in Yemen’s southern province of Abyan, according to a statement issued on jihadist forums on Tuesday, APA reports quoting news.xinhuanet.com website.

The al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) said in the statement that "Mujahideen (Movement of Warrior Youth) carried out a string of operations against the Yemeni apostate security personnel during the past weeks in the province of Abyan."

Abyan province is believed to be a stronghold of al-Qaida forces in the Arabian Peninsula, which has witnessed a series of deadly battles between al-Qaida fighters and the security forces.

On Aug. 20, deadly battles erupted in Lodar city and lasted for more than a week after alleged al-Qaida fighters killed 11 soldiers in an ambush in the city.

Yemeni Interior Ministry said Sunday that the security authority had arrested at least 14 suspected al-Qaida members in Lodar city after the terrorists were totally defeated by the security forces in a week-long fighting.

The ministry vowed that security sweeps against al-Qaida suspects would continue around the clock.

On July 23, the al-Qaida group said it was behind the twin raids on the general security and intelligence buildings in the southern province of Abyan, which killed at least three soldiers and an al-Qaida assailant.

On June 19, militants raided the intelligence headquarters in the southern port city of Aden, and al-Qaida later claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it killed at least 24 people.

The U.S.-backed Yemeni government has intensified security operations and air raids against terrorist groups after the Yemen- based al-Qaida claimed responsibility for a botched attempt to blow up a U.S. passenger plane bound for Detroit last December.