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On November 26, four members of the Yemeni government, which is backed by the Saudi-led coalition, were killed and at least four others were wounded in two suspected al-Qaeda bombings in the southern-central Yemen province of Shabwah.
The first bombing targeted a vehicle of the newly-recruited Shabwah’s Defence Troops near the town of al-Musayniyah, while the second targeted a vehicle of Southern Giants Brigades in the town of al-Nasarah.
A local source told the Al Ain News that three members of the Shabwah’s Defence Troops were killed in the first attack, including the commander of the 1st Brigade’s 2nd Battalion Maj. Salem Al-Jabwani, and at least three others were wounded. According to the source, the second attack claimed the life of a fighter of the Southern Giants Brigades and left another wounded.
A third explosive device that was reportedly planted near the city of Ataq was uncovered and defused by Shabwah’s Defence Troops.
The attacks were blamed on al-Qaeda, which is yet to officially claim responsibility. In a statement, government forces in southern Yemen, which are mainly backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), vowed to uproot terrorist groups from the region and chase their members.
Al-Qaeda continues to maintain a strong influence in southern Yemen, where forces backed by the UAE and Saudi Arabia are mainly present.
The terrorist group’s insurgency in the region regained momentum in the last few months. The Saudi-led coalition proxies responded by intensifying their counter-terrorism operations. However, the security situation in the region is still poor to say the least.