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Yemeni army kills two al-Qaida militants in crossfire

17 May 2014 17:21 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The Yemeni armed forces killed two Saudi al-Qaida militants during fighting in the southeastern province of Shabwa on Saturday, a military official told, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

"The gunfight occurred near the center of the district of Azzan in southeastern Shabwa province, killing two Saudi members of the Yemen-based al-Qaida terrorist group on the spot," the local military official said on condition of anonymity.

"Some of al-Qaida militants attempted to sneak into an army outpost but they failed to reach the site," the source said, adding that the names of the dead militants were not immediately available.

A government official, also on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that "hundreds of Azzan residents fled from clashes and army shelling of several al-Qaida-held sites in the turbulent region."

"Commanders of the army troops in Shabwa have told the rest of the residents to stay away from the fighting areas, as the al- Qaida terrorists are trying to use residents as human shields," the government source added.

On Wednesday, up to 30 al-Qaida militants were killed during clashes with army forces in Shabwa province, Yemen's official news agency reported.

The Yemeni military and security forces have recently intensified operations against suspected al-Qaida strongholds throughout the country, killing many non-Yemeni al-Qaida suspects.

Territories in Azzan and Mahfad, two of al-Qaida's main bastions, have been recaptured by army troops.

However, the al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), also known as Ansar al-Sharia, has vowed to hit back in Yemen's main cities, including the capital Sanaa.

The AQAP is considered the most strategic threat to the Yemeni government and neighboring oil-rich Saudi Arabia.

The AQAP militants have retaliated by launching suicide car attacks and roadside bombings across the impoverished Arab country.