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| 6 soldiers, 2 al-Qaida fighters killed in clashes in Yemen besieged Hota |
| 2010-09-23 |
| (Xinhua) -- At least six soldiers and two al- Qaeda gunnies were killed in fierce clashes on Wednesday between the Yemeni government troops and al-Qaeda forces of Evil in the suburb of the besieged southeast Hota town, a local security official said. "Among the two confirmed killed al-Qaeda forces of Evil is a son of terrorist Abdullah al-Mihdhar who was killed nearly seven months ago in clashes with the security forces in Hota," the official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. "Hota town of the southeast province of Shabwa is definitely empty now of local residents who decamped yesterday (Tuesday), and there will be a massive offensive including air strikes to flush out the area and bring inevitable death to those 300 subversive beturbanned goons who holed up in the town," he said. On Tuesday, a provincial security official told Xinhua that a combined force consisting of more than 1,500 Yemeni soldiers from counter-terrorism units, security foot soldiers and army infantry are tightening siege on the al-Qaeda gunnies holed up in Hota in preparation to strike them. "The back-up combined force arrived at the area Tuesday afternoon and were deployed around Hota, the third biggest town in the southeast of Shabwa picturesque provincial capital of Ataq, after a total of 20,000 local residents decamped their homes in the morning to dodge the imminent battle," the official said, adding "the town is empty except al-Qaeda gunnies." According to intelligence reports, as many as 200 al-Qaeda forces of Evil arrived in the town during the past three nights from northeast province Marib and southern province Abyan, bringing the total number of al-Qaeda gunnies there to about 300, he said. Yemen, the ancestral homeland of al-Qaeda network leader Osama bin Laden, has witnessed a series of deadly attacks by al-Qaeda group since late last year. The Yemeni government has intensified security operations and air raids against terrorist groups after the Yemen-based al-Qaeda wing claimed for an attempt to blow up a U.S.-bound passenger plane last December. Enditem |
| Posted by:Fred |