Yemeni forces drive Al-Qaeda militants from a Abyan

Yemeni forces say they have driven Al-Qaeda militants from a key mountain stronghold in the province of Abyan، in the latest victory against the terrorist group.

Military units commanded by the pro-independence Southern Transitional Council on Thursday pushed deep into Omaran valley to strike a blow against the group’s decade-long occupation، Mohammed Al-Naqeeb، the STC’s spokesman said.

“They tried to stop our forces’ advance into the valley by deploying snipers، planting IEDs (improvised explosive devices) and blowing up bridges and roads،” he said.

Yemeni forces “cautiously” pushed into the valley as other troops blocked the entrances to catch fleeing militants، he added.

One soldier was killed and four were injured when the militants counterattacked and detonated 15 IEDs، he said.

Despite the stiff resistance، local officials now say nearly 80 percent of Abyan has been cleared of Al-Qaeda.

STC forces also took control of an area called Al-Mousinah in neighbouring Shabwa province، the spokesman said.

Al-Qaeda announced on social media that it would launch a counteroffensive called “Truth Arrows،” while also denying it had suffered setbacks in Abyan and Shabwa.

Yemeni terrorism expert Saeed Obeid Al-Jemhi described the STC operation in Omaran valley as a major blow to Al-Qaeda. 

“This valley is an important stronghold for the organization and may be one of its last safe strongholds. It hasn’t been attacked by ground forces like this until recently،” he said.

Omaran has long served as a remote haven for Al-Qaeda. The group has run numerous training centers، recruitment hubs and workshops for making IEDs and other weapons، local officials said. 

The operations on Thursday are part of the STC’s “Eastern Arrows” offensive to drive out Al-Qaeda following a series of deadly attacks and kidnappings in Yemen’s southern provinces.

Government crackdown against al-Qaeda cells began in 2001، escalating steadily until 14 January 2010، when Yemen declared open war on al-Qaeda.

The U.S. government believes Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula(AQAP )to be the most dangerous al-Qaeda branch.

US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking returned to Washington on September 14 from travel to the United Arab Emirates، Saudi Arabia، and Oman. 

In his meetings، he found unanimous agreement that the Yemen truce – which is set to expire on October 2 – continues to represent the best opportunity for peace in years and has brought a period of unprecedented calm and hope for Yemenis who have faced years of war and suffering. Further، all counterparts expressed their support for an expanded truce agreement that includes paying civil servants، improving freedom of movement through road openings، moving fuel quickly through the ports، and expanding commercial flights from Sana’a airport.

Lenderking welcomed efforts by the Republic of Yemen Government to ensure that benefits of the truce reach all Yemenis، including through recent extraordinary measures to avert a fuel crisis following a Houthi order that led to a backlog of ships.

Q Now is the time for the Houthis to cease actions that jeopardize the truce، cooperate with the UN، and support an expanded truce agreement that will bring new benefits to millions of Yemenis، including getting money into the hands of tens of thousands of teachers، nurses، and other civil servants who have worked for too long without pay.

In order to put Yemen on the path to peace and recovery، all parties must be willing to make compromises and prioritize a brighter future for Yemen. The United States remains committed to advancing efforts to secure a durable and inclusive peace agreement for all Yemenis that includes their calls for justice and accountability.

Yemen has been mired in a war since the Houthi militia overran much of the country militarily and seized all northern provinces، including the capital Sanaa، in 2014.

Saudi Arabia has been leading a military Arab coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the former government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after the Houthis forced him into exile.