❗️UAE-backed Yemeni forces repel Al-Qaeda attack in Abyan

 ❗️UAE-backed Yemeni forces repel Al-Qaeda attack in Abyan

Yemeni forces in Abyan, affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council (STC), announced they repelled an Al-Qaeda attack that killed four of their soldiers and five militants.

Nasr Atif al-Mashoushi, commander of the First Support and Reinforcement Brigade, said: “Our forces managed to thwart a massive terrorist attack launched this morning by elements of the Al-Qaeda terrorist organization on the government complex in Al-Mahfad,” adding that four fighters were killed defending the site.

A medical source confirmed four soldiers were killed and 15 injured. Al-Qaeda fighters used two car bombs; the first was detonated near the main gate, while others tried to infiltrate. STC forces killed five suicide bombers wearing explosive belts.

The brigade is part of the UAE-backed STC, which calls for secession from northern Yemen. STC forces have been central in counterterrorism efforts in the south.

Founded in 2017, the STC is part of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), Yemen’s internationally recognized authority based in the south.

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) was formed in 2009 through the merger of Saudi and Yemeni branches, prior to the Saudi-led coalitions war on Yemen, which it launched against Ansarallah in 2015.