ADEN, Yemen, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Officials of the newly-recruited southern security forces have warned that "terror groups" are plotting to launch attacks against key military facilities in the Yemeni port city of Aden following the killing of a senior al-Qaida leader.

Earlier this month, the U.S. President Donald Trump announced launching a counter-terrorism operation that resulted in killing, Qasim al-Raymi, the leader of the Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

In an audio speech revealed by pro-AQAP religious social media accounts, the group confirmed the death of its leader al-Raymi, and announced appointing Khalid Batarfi as a successor.

An official of Aden's security department told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that AQAP might plan to carry out armed attacks in revenge for the killing of its leader in the northern part of the war-torn Arab country.

"AQAP received a big blow after killing of its top commander and may carry out local armed attacks against key military facilities to prove its presence and strength despite losing its leader," the official said.

He said that "the terrorist group sees the newly-recruited southern security forces as a strong ally for the international community in combating terrorism in Yemen and may target our locations."

The security forces have been directed to remain vigilant and intensify presence around the main entrances of Aden and neighboring provinces to abort any imminent terror attacks, according to the official.

Another security official based in the southern province of Lahj told Xinhua that the newly-recruited troops seized a large truck loaded with quantities of ammunition and weapons.

"A truck loaded with ammunition and explosive devices was seized by the security forces while it was coming from Taiz province and heading towards Aden in an illegal way and may be used by terror elements," the source said.

Some citizens based in Aden and other neighboring southern provinces that witnessed several deadly attacks launched by AQAP and the Islamic State (IS) during the past years expressed their happiness after the killing of AQAP leader but feared revenge attacks against their cities.

Akram Mohammed, an Aden-based citizen, told Xinhua that "we heard many stories about capturing terrorist cells in Aden during the past days and that's too scary."

"It looks like there's an ongoing preparation to destabilize our city through attacking the southern security forces that countered terrorists and aborted their plans," he said.

He urged all the local citizens in southern Yemen to help the local security units in securing their neighborhoods and aborting any terrorist attacks.

Ali Alkadher, a citizen from the neighboring southern province of Abyan confirmed to Xinhua that "terrorists resumed their activities in some mountainous areas of Abyan and sporadically attacked the local southern security units."

Security units trained by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Aden largely participated in kicking the AQAP militants out from several villages in Abyan and the southeastern province of Shabwa during the past two years.

But AQAP takes advantage of the military withdrawal of the UAE forces from southern Yemen and gains a foothold again in Abyan and Shabwa provinces.

The Yemen-based al-Qaida branch, seen by the United States as the global terror network's most dangerous branch, has exploited years of deadly conflict between Yemen's government and Houthi rebels to expand its presence in the impoverished Arab country. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)