According to military officials, the Yemeni government has authorised the deployment of troops to confront terror groups and secure the country's southern regions. The move comes after Al-Qaeda has stepped up its attacks in recent weeks.
The forces deployed include the Giants Brigades that earlier this year helped recapture and secure areas from the Houthis in Shabwa. According to military sources, the joint STC- Yemeni government troops will help secure infrastructure and hunt down terrorist hide spots.
Recent weeks have witnessed several attacks on military forces. This included a car bomb that killed at least six in Aden last week.
It is believed that Al-Qaeda has been regrouping and conducting several small attacks in preparation for a larger offensive. Al-Qaeda has since the beginning of the war, captured several areas in Yemen which were later re-captured by governmental or pro-governmental forces.
Yemen’s warring parties entered a two-month ceasefire on April 2 which is now extended until the end of July. Progress on several files has been made but the Yemeni population is becoming increasingly pessimistic about the chances that the ceasefire can bring tangible changes to livelihoods and security.
Source: commonspace.eu with The Siasat Daily (Hyderabad), The New Arab (London) and Balqees TV (Istanbul).
Picture: Yemeni army in action (Archive).
