Aden: Yemeni troops backed by warplanes
clashed on Thursday with suspected al-Qaeda militants in the restive
south in fighting that killed 10 people, military and civilian
administration sources said.
Four soldiers were killed and 10 wounded in the fighting
on the eastern and northern outskirts of the city of Zinjibar,
controlled by al-Qaeda-linked Partisans of Sharia militants, a
military source said.
The troops were backed by warplanes, and heavy artillery
was also used in the fighting, the source said.
Six Islamists were also killed and eight wounded, a
civilian administration source said, adding that three
vehicles were used to evacuate the casualties to a hospital in
nearby Jaar.
Residents in the region said the fighting erupted in the
afternoon and that blasts and gunfire could still be heard in
the early evening.
Zinjibar is the capital of the southern Abyan province, a
stronghold of al-Qaeda, and has been the scene of frequent
fighting between troops and Islamist militants since May.
Bureau Report
First Published: Thursday, January 05, 2012, 23:16