With the Friends of Yemen set to begin on April 29th in London, Yemeni officials have intensified their campaign against al-Qaeda, keen to prove how committed they are to defeat the region’s enemy number one.
Already dubbed the most dangerous Islamic terror cell in the Arabian Peninsula, al-Qaeda Yemen threatens more than just Yemen’ stability as militants have made clear they intend to use Yemen as their new terror headquarter. Very much in stuck in political and institutional limbo, Yemen remains ever more at a delicate crossroad in its history, a situation Islamic radicals seem intent on exploiting.
Less than a day after government officials confirmed that a drone had hit a vehicle transporting alleged terror militants in al-Baydha, another strike was reported somewhere in between the southern provinces of Abyan and Shabwa, in the Mahfad mountains.
According to officials, the drone aimed to target an al-Qaeda training camp. Several media quoted the Supreme Security Committee, (on which both the defence and interior ministers seat as well as the country's intelligence chief) as saying, “the attack struck the rugged Mahfad Mountains between Abyan and Shabwa provinces.”
While officials refused to confirm whether or not the strike was US-led, sources at the presidential palace have said that given Sana’a-Washington’s close counter-terror collaboration it would be safe to assume US officials more than likely lent Yemen a hand in carrying out Sunday operation.
A source warned that in the light of Yemen’s drone controversy, Yemeni officials will seek to downplay Washington’s influence and leadership when it comes to ordering and carrying drone strikes, as not to further fuel popular anger and feed anti-American sentiment.