Taliban. —File Photo
— File Photo

SANAA: Government troops killed 11 al Qaeda fighters in southern Yemen on Friday, as the army battled its way into the outskirts of a key town under the militants' control, military officials said.

Al Qaeda -linked fighters have taken over a swath of territory and several towns in the south over the past year, pushing out government forces and establishing their own rule.

In recent weeks, the army has launched a concerted effort to uproot the militants from their strongholds - and is closely coordinating with a small contingent of US troops who are helping guide the operations from inside Yemen.

On Friday, Yemeni troops moved in on Jaar in Abyan province, killing eight al Qaeda fighters in clashes about 10 kilometers (six miles) north of the town. Recapturing Jaar would better position the military to take back Zinjibar, the provincial capital that has been under al Qaeda control for more than a year.

Also in Abyan, a Yemeni warplane struck an al Qaeda checkpoint some 70 kilometers (45 miles) east of Zinjibar in an area known as Shoqra, killing three militants and wounding six, officials said.

The fighting in the south, particularly around Jaar, has displaced tens of thousands of civilians.

Town residents said that hundreds of families from the surrounding area flooded into the city on Friday to escape the clashes.

One civilian who fled to Jaar, Al-Muqbala Yasin, said by telephone that the military had bombed his hometown just outside of Jaar. He said that he saw al Qaeda militants burying their dead in what he called ''mass graves'' there.

Yemen's new president, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who has vowed to tackle the threat from al Qaeda in the country.

As part of the fight, Hadi is restructuring the military and removing loyalists of ousted leader Ali Abdullah Saleh from key posts, though there are concerns that the former leader, who stepped down in February, is still obstructing reforms and trying to retain influence through his cronies.

On Friday, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in more than 18 provinces, calling on Saleh loyalists to step aside and allow security officials appointed by Hadi to take up their posts.

Opinion

Editorial

IMF scrutiny
Updated 11 Feb, 2025

IMF scrutiny

Strengthening foundations of the economic superstructure will help make the economy competitive and boost growth.
Shadow voices
11 Feb, 2025

Shadow voices

OVER the weekend, another ‘open letter’ addressed to the army chief and attributed to former prime minister ...
Paradise at a premium
11 Feb, 2025

Paradise at a premium

PAKISTAN’S recent triumph at the New York Travel and Adventure Show 2025, winning the Best Partner Pavilion Award,...
A positive note
Updated 10 Feb, 2025

A positive note

With govt unable to press growth accelerator without upending fragile recovery, sufferings of low-middle-income households are unlikely to disappear soon.
Justice for all
10 Feb, 2025

Justice for all

ALONG with his domestic agenda, Donald Trump is busy ripping to shreds the post-World War II ‘rules-based...
Held back
10 Feb, 2025

Held back

IT is a crying shame how women are conspicuously absent from Pakistan’s civil services. Despite comprising half ...