March 17th, 2012 by Oman Views

US air raids on Qaeda arms caches in Yemen: witnesses

US drones bombed suspected Al-Qaeda arms caches in a hilly region in Yemen’s restive southern province of Abyan on Sunday, witnesses told AFP.

Six missiles targeted the suspected weapons hideouts in Jabal Khanfar, a hill overlooking the Abyan town of Jaar, which is controlled by Al-Qaeda militants, the witnesses said.

“Two American drones fired four missiles at Jabal Khanfar while two others were fired from the sea” in the Gulf of Aden, a local official told AFP. He did not provide further details.

Witnesses reported seeing columns of smoke billowing into the sky from the targeted locations and said that government buildings, now controlled by Al-Qaeda fighters, had been damaged. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The air strikes were carried out in the early evening, the witnesses said.

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) controls large swathes of southern Yemen, and has strengthened its position there since an anti-government uprising last year that ousted veteran strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Air strikes by Yemeni and US planes on Friday and Saturday killed at least 33 suspected Al-Qaeda militants in Abyan and Al-Bayda province, south of the capital, in the first such action since a massive attack on the army, residents and local officials said.

AFP

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March 16th, 2012 by Oman Views

Yemen officials: US airstrikes hit al-Qaida area

SANAA, Yemen (AP) – Yemeni military officials said Sunday that U.S. aircraft carried out four airstrikes in a southern province where al-Qaida-linked militants control several key towns.

Two military officials said the airstrikes targeted Khanfar Mountain near the town of Jaar in Abyan province, where al-Qaida is in control.

There was no comment from U.S. officials.

In the past, U.S. warplanes have targeted leaders and facilities of al-Qaida in Yemen, considered one of its most dangerous branches. On Saturday, Yemeni officials said U.S. airstrikes killed at least 18 al-Qaida-linked militants in the province of Bayda.

Yemeni military officials attributed that attack on the U.S., saying the Yemeni military does not have the capacity to carry out nighttime airstrikes. The Yemeni officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military regulations.

Al-Qaida has taken advantage of a year of internal turmoil to take over parts of southern Yemen. They took control of Jaar last spring and have successfully battled the Yemeni military, expanding their reach north to the neighboring province of Bayda.

The uprising in Yemen, the poorest country in the Arab world, eventually led to the ouster of longtime ruler Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was once a partner in the fight against al-Qaida in Yemen.

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By AHMED AL-HAJ | Associated Press

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March 11th, 2012 by Oman Views

US preparing to restart military aid to Yemen

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Pentagon is planning to restart programs that would fund military training and equipment in Yemen, nearly a year after they were shut down because of escalating chaos in the embattled country.

While no agreements have been cemented, U.S. defense officials said as much as $75 million in military assistance could begin to flow later this year. The officials said the Pentagon and State Department are putting together a letter to send to Congress to request the aid be restarted.

The plan is in line with the Obama administration’s intention to provide significant security and civilian aid to Yemen in 2012-13 as long as the Middle Eastern country continues to move toward a new government and funding is kept out of the hands of insurgents.

One senior military official said discussions have begun over how best the United States can help Yemen, which is putting a new U.S.-backed government in place. The official said it may be difficult to relaunch the counterterrorism training that was suspended about a year ago because Yemeni forces are engaged in battle with the al-Qaida-linked insurgency.

Instead, the training program could shift to focus less on fighting tactics and more on how to plan combat operations and strategize against the enemy.

Officials spoke on condition of anonymity because no final decisions have been made.

Yearlong protests across Yemen, coupled with pressure from the U.S., led to the ouster of longtime Yemeni ruler Ali Abdullah Saleh. U.S. leaders have said they believe that newly inaugurated Yemeni president, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, will be a good partner to the U.S.

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By LOLITA C. BALDOR | Associated Press

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