Sunday, 02 October 2011
A Yemeni warplane mistakenly struck a military site in the south of the country, resulting in the deaths of soldiers. (Photo by Reuters)
A Yemeni warplane mistakenly struck a military site in south Yemen on Sunday, killing more than a dozen soldiers, a local security official said, but the government denied the report.
Hundreds of militants from the al-Qaeda linked Partisans of Sharia (Islamic law) group overran Zinjibar in Yemen's troubled southern Abyan province in May, and it has been the scene of bitter fighting.
One military official told AFP on condition of anonymity said that the air strike on the school killed an unknown number of soldiers.
Hundreds of militants from the al-Qaeda linked Partisans of Sharia (Islamic law) group overran Zinjibar in Yemen's troubled southern Abyan province in May, and it has been the scene of bitter fighting.
One military official told AFP on condition of anonymity said that the air strike on the school killed an unknown number of soldiers.
“Al-Qaeda militants then attacked the school after the air strike and killed even more soldiers,” he said, adding that at least 20 have so far been killed at the school.
Officials at the military hospital in the nearby port city of Aden said they were unable to confirm the deaths as their ambulances have been unable to reach the location because of “intense fighting” between soldiers and militants.
A defense ministry source, however, denied “the false news that Yemeni soldiers were killed in an accidental Yemeni plane strike.”
Yemen’s army is fighting to regain territory lost to suspected al-Qaeda operatives during months of political upheaval that have weakened central government control over parts of the country, notably Abyan.
Zinjibar was “liberated” from Islamist fighters by government troops last month, but clashes continue to flare there. Local officials and residents said 15 militants were killed in air strikes on the city on Sunday, while four soldiers died in combat with gunmen.
Since popular protests against President Ali Abdullah Saleh paralyzed impoverished Yemen earlier this year, international powers have feared growing lawlessness might embolden al Qaeda’s local wing and imperil shipping routes via the Red Sea.
Saleh recently returned unexpectedly to Yemen from Saudi Arabia where he had been recovering from an attempt on his life. His surprise comeback coincided with a burst of bloodshed in the capital Sana’a when a months-old uneasy stalemate gave way to a military showdown between pro- and anti Saleh forces.
Violence has been sporadic since Saleh’s return, but many Yemenis and observers fear the country may eventually slide into an even deadlier confrontation, if not civil war.
There were clashes again in Sana’a on Sunday, with residents reporting gunfire near the base of top general Ali Mohsen, who defected from Saleh in March and threw his weight behind protesters calling for an end to his 33-year rule.
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has taken advantage of nearly nine months of sweeping unrest against Saleh to bolster its presence in the restive south and east Yemen, launching regular attacks.
Officials at the military hospital in the nearby port city of Aden said they were unable to confirm the deaths as their ambulances have been unable to reach the location because of “intense fighting” between soldiers and militants.
A defense ministry source, however, denied “the false news that Yemeni soldiers were killed in an accidental Yemeni plane strike.”
Yemen’s army is fighting to regain territory lost to suspected al-Qaeda operatives during months of political upheaval that have weakened central government control over parts of the country, notably Abyan.
Zinjibar was “liberated” from Islamist fighters by government troops last month, but clashes continue to flare there. Local officials and residents said 15 militants were killed in air strikes on the city on Sunday, while four soldiers died in combat with gunmen.
Since popular protests against President Ali Abdullah Saleh paralyzed impoverished Yemen earlier this year, international powers have feared growing lawlessness might embolden al Qaeda’s local wing and imperil shipping routes via the Red Sea.
Saleh recently returned unexpectedly to Yemen from Saudi Arabia where he had been recovering from an attempt on his life. His surprise comeback coincided with a burst of bloodshed in the capital Sana’a when a months-old uneasy stalemate gave way to a military showdown between pro- and anti Saleh forces.
Violence has been sporadic since Saleh’s return, but many Yemenis and observers fear the country may eventually slide into an even deadlier confrontation, if not civil war.
There were clashes again in Sana’a on Sunday, with residents reporting gunfire near the base of top general Ali Mohsen, who defected from Saleh in March and threw his weight behind protesters calling for an end to his 33-year rule.
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has taken advantage of nearly nine months of sweeping unrest against Saleh to bolster its presence in the restive south and east Yemen, launching regular attacks.
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