Yemen's army managed on Tuesday to recapture the strategic military position of Al-Haroor that links between the governorates of Lahj and Abyan after it could expelled militants of Ansar Al-Shariah (Supporters of the Islamic Law).
Militants of Ansar Al-Shariah, a group connecting to Al-Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula, had seized control last Saturday on a military position of the Brigade 201 commanded by Mahmoud Al-Sobaihi, captured all its ordnance, and killed at least five one soldier.
Locals said that Ansar Al-Shariah militants gradually evacuated the position on Monday night and transferred the military equipment to other hideouts.
At least 21 soldiers were killed on last Saturday when Ansar Al-Sharia militants attacked Al-Haroor position. Local sources affirmed on Tuesday that the Yemeni military controls on the Bridge 119 after Al-Qaeda militants retreated. The sources said that 3 soldiers were found slaughtered.
Meanwhile, Yemen's warplanes launched Tuesday strikes against the city of Jaar in Abyan governorates.
Anasr Al-Sharia have been seizing control on Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan governorate since last May. They later captured some parts of Abyan And Sahwah.
Ansar Al-Shariah said that its militants blew up a gas pipeline, pointing out that the attacks came as a response to US attacks in which five of its militants were killed.
Local sources affirmed that the attacks stopped the production of the pipeline which transports gas to a facility whose leading stakeholder is French oil major Total at Balhaf port on the Arabian Sea.
The $4.5 billion Balhaf liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility opened in 2009 and was the largest industrial project ever carried out in impoverished Yemen.