Five militants and two soldiers were killed and 32 suspects arrested during the operations against Al-Qaeda in Yemen’s Southeastern Shabwa Province last week, a local source said on Monday.
Few days after the cleanup operations in Al-Hawta town, the authorities defused three mines at the gate of the town and seized an explosives-laden car which was prepared for a suicide attack by Al-Qaeda, the source said.
Explosives, dynamite detonators and RPGs as well as documents of the car’s owner who came from Hadramout Province were found inside the car.
Meanwhile, the families which fled the fighting have started to return to their homes coinciding with the withdrawal of the forces.
Apart from the topic, the Interior Ministry ordered on Monday to tighten security in the capital Sana’a, urging the security authorities to intensify patrols and increase checkpoints amid the hunt for suspects in the attack on a bus carrying political security personnel two days ago.
It also urged the authorities to stay on high alert to face possible attacks and arrest suspects and wanted criminals.
Policemen at checkpoints must check cars and IDs well, and cooperate with the Central Security, Police Rescue, Criminal Investigative Department and Counterterrorism Unit to hunt suspects and dangerous criminals, it said.
One soldier was killed and ten others were injured in the attack on the bus while distributing agents at their workplaces.