[YEMENPOST.NET] Ever since Yemen Defence Ministry announced on April 20 the launch of a massive military operation against al-Qaeda across the southern provinces of Abyan and Shabwa, where terror militants have established several bases and training camps, the impoverished nation has spiralled down a vicious cycle of violence.Seldom has a day gone by since April 20 which did not bring further reports of killing, maiming and bombing.
Only this Wednesday, security officials in Shabwa where fighting in between the armed forces and al-Qaeda operatives rages on, confirmed that Islamic militants targeted a military convoy near the city of Azzan. The official noted, ""The Yemeni air force is participating in the battles, bombing columns of Al-Qaeda vehicles trying to advance towards Azzan."
According to experts Al-Qaeda which suffered many strategic defeats over the past weeks would be attempting to regain some lost ground by reverting to guerrilla tactics in the hope to thin out the army's resolve and secure pockets of resistance.
General Mohsen Saeed al-Ghazali, an aide to Yemen's defence minister was allegedly killed in the attack. It is important to note that no official statement has been issued yet.
On Tuesday, a military warplane targeted three trucks which intelligence sources identified as carrying weapons for al-Qaeda. The convoy was travelling toward Marib from Shabwa
While analysts have warned earlier this week that al-Qaeda militants will attempt to regroup away from Abyan and Shabwa to catch their breath and devise of a new action plan against Sana's central government, movements towards Marib came to reinforce such theory. As it happens, al-Qaeda could be about to open yet another front to Yemen's war against terror.
The Defence Ministry has confirmed that according to its data dozens of alleged terror militants have been either killed or captures over the past three weeks.
Yemen being caught up in a "cycle of violence" is quite to be expected, given its situation. When you're in a war you take punishment as well as giving it. The idea is to dish out more than you take. Ambushes and air power and sieges and even massacres are a part of that process.
the Yemen government's enemy is an internationally-raised army of Islamic mercenaries, who purpose is to impose their own brand of religion on the country. When President Saleh who trying to hold onto power at the last, al-Qaeda conquered a considerable portion of Abyen and Shabwa. That's not a fight against badidos, but a fight against invaders and their partisans.
"Invaders?" The headquarters of al-Qaeda is in Pakistain, not in Yemen. They have a local satrap who's declared his devotion to Ayman al-Zawahiri, but as far as we know Ayman doesn't visit much.