Fears that al-Qaeda have been orchestrating a return in force to Yemen southern provinces have been confirmed early on Wednesday when news of an attack against three air force colonels were confirmed by officials.
According to military officials, terror militants link to Ansar al-Sharia, an offshoot of al-Qaeda in Yemen attacked military officers north of Huta, in the southern province of Lahj. All three colonels were based in the strategic al-Anad airbase.
“Gunmen shot dead three pilots with the rank of colonel north of Huta (the provincial capital) as they were heading towards Al-Anad airbase,” an officer told the press.
Al-Anad air base has been used since 2012 by U.S soldiers to train local forces in combating terrorism as part of the U.S and Yemen counter-terror strategy partnership.
After Yemen lost in 2011 large swathes of lands to Ansar al-Sharia the coalition government demanded yet more military and tactical support from its American partner to face its growing national terror threat.
Al-Anad has been identified as one of al-Qaeda's targets in 2012. In October 2012, the military managed to foil a bomb attack against the airbase
While a large military operation launched in 2012 successfully outrooted terror militants from the southern province of Abyan, security analysts have warned that al-Qaeda's abilities to harm the state remain almost intact as they reverted to guerrilla tactics.