Government troops in southern Yemen on Sunday attacked al Qaeda hideouts, killing two dozen suspected militants in the latest push to clear the area of the terror organization, local security officials said.
Four members of the military were also killed in the clashes, which began early in the morning in the Abyan districts of Zinjibar and Jaar, the officials said, while nine troops were wounded.
Government warplanes aided in the assault.
"We succeeded in taking takeover three strategic posts near Jaar and our forces will continue to go forward," said one of the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
"Al Qaeda fighters are evacuating areas previously under their control due to the intensive government bombardment," the official added.
Yemen's government has been fighting al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula for years with mixed results.
Suspected al Qaeda militants seized Abyan last year during Yemen's political stalemate after government troops evacuated most military posts in the province.
Recently, the government sent thousands of troops to Abyan in its latest assault against the militants, vowing not to retreat until al Qaeda is defeated.
The clashes took place the same day White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan met with President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi in Sanaa.
FULL STORY
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
Hooray for the Yemini military forces!
It would be wonderful to eliminate al Qaeda completely. It would like completely destroying a virus as devastating as HIV.
In Afghanistan any dead Afghan IS a Taliban; While in Yeman all the dead are Al Q's.
So why use word "Suspected"?
No one in US gives a damn about suspects unless its their own butts that are suspects; so just say how many bad guys we kill.
If its a person in the Phillipines, Indonesia or any one in the many African nations where we are eliminating those who hate America and Americans and let GOD sort them out according to whatever sins.
After All; HE and his Flag are on our
Didnt this article say they were killed by YEMENI military? So yea hooray, they are taking care of their own business on their own soil!
@Joey. Comparing al qaeda with aids is like comparing a homemade roadside bomb with a military complex cluster bomb. For every suspected al qaeda attack, there are 10,000 confirmed cases hiv attacks.
And just how did Afghanistan's hiv infection rate go from zero to what it is today? (roughly the same as in Saudi Arabia and Israel....still nowhere near the USA's hiv infection rate, yet)
P.S. And keep in mind mankind gave-up on finding a cure for the common cold virus years ago after spending trillions of dollars trying to find a cure. Now, comparing the common cold virus to the aids virus would be like comparing a thrown rock to the flight of an F-22 fighter jet.
@ Al Qaeda AIDS:
You know that I was referring to how similarly lovely al Qaeda and HIV are.
No, I didn't get it, Joey. As I said, you are comparing a thrown rock (al qaeda) with an F-22 fighter jet AIDS.
Example: Fully 2% of the US hetero population have now aquired HIV (just as our fmr. Surgeons General C. Everett Koop warned US would happen if we DIDN'T quarantine those first men who had aids back in 1982...he warned the virus would spread from gay to hetero via bi-se xuals and needle sharers, and it did). Notice that 2% of America haven't been killed by al qaeda. (not counting the 15% of all US gays that are carriers of HIV/fulll-blown AIDS)
Yes, 40,000 people die each year from AIDS. Al Qauda only wishes they could do that.
The way we hear of 'suspected' militants dying from drone attacks and action by our own &forces loyal to us on a daily basis for the last ten years, Al-Qaeda should have been eliminated by now.
@Philip
as usual your comments serve as piping hot morning coffee to do some wake up.
Good morning all.
The number that is ignored regularly is that of 'suspected civilians, women & children'.
And I tried and tried to respond to your post concerning the US arming Israel to the teeth. I realize the vast fortunes US taxpayers have given to what President Obama and candidate Romney call "God's chosen people", as if a gay jew were of more value than a not-so gay US citizen. My point was that Israel's sworn enemies have been armed by the US taxpayer a hundred times more.
IMO, the term "suspected ties to Al Quaeda" is, in itself, suspect; a catch-all term overused these days to justify actions.
!uch the same way GWB used the term in the sentence, "Daddam Hussein has suoected ties with Al Queada."
I agree with JIF's first post.
I got the allegory.
S/B 'suspected', 'much', and 'Saddam'.
I got home WAY too late from our MD activities, lol.
Pardon the errors.
Don't we have HIV-Bombs for places like this?
Israel did in fact arm the madman Saddam even after he had committed major atrocities against his own people. (source: The Teicher Affidavit)
Thanks @Philip.
yes I agree we do arm these Arabs but get a lot of petro-dollars in return and ever lasting fat contracts. The truth though is that they are 'sworn' enemies of Israel as a facade for their public. These rulers are all lined up with us on our M.East policy and we guarantee to perpetuate their rule. Just as we did with Mubarak and do with Jordan.