The Yemeni armed forces bombarded a number of al-Qaida hideouts in the southeastern province of Shabwa on Friday, leaving at least five terrorists killed, a Defense Ministry official told Xinhua.

"The army troops fired artillery shells against al-Qaida sites in a mountainous region in Shabwa province, killing at least five terrorists and injuring several others on the spot," the Defense Ministry official said on condition of anonymity, adding that two al-Qaida wounded militants were arrested and there were no casualties among the army troops.

On Friday, the al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) based in Yemen posted a statement on Islamic websites, denying a claim by Yemen's president that 70 percent of its fighters in Yemen are foreigners.

AQAP said that "the vast majority of the al-Qaida fighters are from the sons of this Muslim country (Yemen). Most of the Jihadists came from the Yemeni armed tribes that support Muslims and Islamic nation."

The statement warned the military authorities not to target al- Qaida strongholds and vowed to launch more attacks in revenge.

The Yemeni armed forces on Tuesday launched an all-out offensive and military mobilization with participation of over 1, 600 soldiers and 400 security personnel against several al-Qaida hideouts in the country's southern territories. Endi

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)