Four Aqap members killed by US drone strike

An Al Qaeda militant killed by a US drone strike in southern Yemen on Sunday reportedly once served as the right-hand man of the terrorist group’s former leader in the country, who died in a drone strike in 2016.

A missile killed four members of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in a mountainous area in the Ahwar district of Abyan province, a security source said.

Among them was a field commander, Ali Shanna, whose nom de guerre was Sameh Al Marmi, the officer told The National. He was believed to have been the right-hand man of Jalal Baleedi, Aqap’s commander in Yemen until his death.

“They were killed in the tribal area of Khabar Al Marakisha,” the officer said.

Since forces loyal to President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi withdrew from Abyan in 2016, separatist Southern Movement forces have been fighting Aqap alone.

Last year they launched a major operation targeting militant hideouts in the mountains of Abyan.

“The Southern security belt forces have inflicted crushing blows on the terrorists but some tribes still shelter Aqap sleeper cells in Ahwar and Al Mahfed in Abyan,” the source said. “But we’re tracking them down.”

The US said on August 30 that it had carried out six raids targeting Al Qaeda militants in Yemen since May.

Security forces in Lahj province, which borders Abyan, yesterday seized a car loaded with explosives and arrested one of the four men in the vehicle, all of whom were wearing abayas.

Lt Mohammed Al Samti, aide to the security director for Lahj, said the car was travelling towards Aden and sped through a checkpoint when asked to stop.

Security forces chased the car, which overturned, killing one of the occupants. Two others managed to escape and the fourth man was arrested, Lt Al Samti said.

Meanwhile, focus has again turned to rebel-controlled Hodeidah after peace talks in Geneva were postponed over the weekend, with pro-government forces eager to retake the port.

Facing an assault on Hodeidah, Houthi leader Mohammed Ali Al Houthi has been visiting his tribal support base north of Sanaa to recruit fighters to defend the port, a source in Sanaa said.