Military Colonel: Dozens of Somalis arrive in Yemen to back al-Qaeda

Some 50 Somalis arrived in the al-Qaeda stronghold district of Ja’ar to back the militants against military troops surrounding the area.

A military colonel in Abyan capital, Zinjubar, said on anonymity condition, that the Somalis came by boat to Ja’ar district, which is now surrounded by military reinforcements in order to recapture the area.

Linked al-Qaeda militants are battling the government’s troops in three different fronts including Zinjubar, the capital of the province, which fell to the militants’ hand last year amid the security vacuum.

The military source said that a couple of military brigades have been around Zinjubar since last month in order to retake the area. “But they could not make any progress fearing that they could be shot by al-Qaeda. They are using a hit-and-run tactic and guerrilla war. The same thing is happening in the neighboring Ja’ar district,” The source said.

The United States is baking the government troops in the offensive against al-Qaeda, setting up a drone campaign that has already killed a number of militants including leading al-Qaeda members.

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