Yemen: Sana'a faces worsening security crisis
AQAP fighters continue to target government infrastructure amid renewed
tribal violence
Written by : <
http://www.aawsat.net/author/theaawsat> Asharq Al-Awsat
on : Saturday, 24 May, 2014
Sana'a, Asharq Al-Awsat-Sana'a is facing an escalating security crisis, with
Al-Qaeda-affiliated militants attacking government infrastructure in the
south of the country and sectarian fighting between Sunni rebels and Shi'ite
Houthi fighters worsening in the central governorate of Amran.
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) militants in Yemen attacked
government and military infrastructure in the southeastern province of
Hadramout on Friday evening, as Sana'a continues a major military offensive
in the south of the country against AQAP.
Local media reported that at least 32 people were killed in an AQAP attack
on the town of Seyoun, the second-largest city in Hadramout province. Gunmen
targeted the army headquarters, the central security headquarters, the
central bank building, the traffic police department and the post office on
Friday evening.
It was unclear whether this was a hit-and-run attack in retaliation against
a recent government crackdown on AQAP in the south of the country, or
whether the gunmen were seeking to take control of the town but had been
repelled. Sana'a's military offensive against AQAP had predominately focused
on the southern Abyan and Shabwa provinces, forcing militants to flee east
into Hadramout.
In other new from Yemen, dozens have been reported killed or injured in the
latest violence between Shi'ite tribal members in the central province of
Amran. At least eight people were killed in the latest round of violence on
Thursday, with approximately 40 people being killed over the past weeks.
However local security officials, speaking to Yemen's state SABA news
agency, announced that the "tensions" in the province had been "contained"
on Saturday.
"We reached a ceasefire at around 1 am [on Saturday morning], thanks to the
directives of the president and commander-in-chief [Abd Rabbuh Mansour
Hadi], who ordered an immediate end to the fighting," commander of the Amran
security forces Brig. Gen. Anasi told SABA.
Received on Sat May 24 2014 - 19:12:49 EDT