Yemeni Anti-Terror Raids Receive US Assistance

Yemeni Anti-Terror Raids Receive US Assistance

Reports have indicated that Yemeni commandos were flown into alleged training camps of al-Qaeda in anti-terror raids by US personnel. The raids resulted to the death of dozens of militants over the weekend. The operations come in addition to the drone strikes carried out by the US in the country.

The involvement of the US in the raids was masked by allowing US personnel to pilot Yemeni helicopters manufactured by Russia. The raids were conducted in the Mahfad mountains located in the southern part of Yemen. Although Yemeni forces have clashed with alleged al Qaeda members in the Arabian Peninsula, an official revealed that US forces were not directly involved in the skirmish itself.

The official did not give any indications that the US personnel involved in the anti-terror raids were private contractors, CIA or members of the US Special Forces. DNA tests were also being conducted to ascertain if any of the dead militants were bomb producer Ibrahim al-Asiri or senior leader Nasser al-Wuhayshi.

Nine alleged militants from al Qaeda along with three civilians were also killed during a US drone strike on Saturday against a convoy in the province of al-Bayda. Navy Rear Admiral John Kirby, Pentagon spokesman, did not offer any additional information on the role of the United States in the anti-terror operations.

Rear Admiral Kirby revealed that US forces are continually collaborating with the government and armed forces of Yemen in enhancing its counterterrorism capabilities within the country. He added that the cooperation between the two countries will continue.

Three senior security officials of Yemen were assassinated in the last twenty-four hours in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa. Another deputy security chief was also assassinated at Harib, the central district of Yemen. The assassinations were an apparent retaliation for the anti-terror raids conducted by the Yemeni government over the weekend.

Posted by James Fried on Wednesday April 23 2014, 2:12 AM EST. Ref: USA Today. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0