The return of terrorism to Abyan..Bomb attacks under the cover of false Houthi-Brotherhood campaigns

English - Sunday 29 January 2023 الساعة 08:14 am
Abyan, newsyemen, private:

Al-Qaeda terrorist organization in Yemen escalated its booby-trapped attacks against the joint security and military forces in Abyan governorate, southern Yemen, at a time when the media funded by the Muslim Brotherhood intensified its campaigns against the forces participating in the war against terrorism in the governorates of Shabwa and Abyan.

Terrorist operations were concentrated in the areas of the districts of Al-Mahfad and Mudiyah, specifically in the main strongholds in which Al-Qaeda had been stationed over the past years, and used as launching points to carry out its attacks in Abyan and the neighboring Shabwa governorate.

Omran Valley, east of Mudiya, witnessed a series of attacks during the past few days through booby-trapped devices that were planted on roadsides to target security and military movements.  The last of these attacks, a few days ago, claimed the lives of 5 soldiers, either dead or wounded, after targeting a military patrol belonging to the forces of the Third Brigade, infantry, with an explosive device planted on a main road inside the valley.  And last week, the military commander, Colonel Abdul Rahim Al-Muaker, was killed along with 2 of his companions, while 3 others were injured in a similar attack in the Mudiya district.

The valley represents one of the most important strongholds of al-Qaeda, which was cleared during the recent security campaigns led by the southern forces as part of Operation Arrows of the East, which was launched in August 2022.

In Shabwa, 4 people were injured in a similar terrorist attack, which was claimed by the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda, and targeted a military patrol in the town of "Al-Majaza" in "Al-Rawda".

Since mid-December 2022, Abyan has witnessed about 11 terrorist attacks with explosive devices, all of which occurred in the towns of "Wadi Omran", "Al-Mahfad" and "Modia" east of Abyan, leaving dozens dead and wounded among the southern forces.  Shabwa also witnessed other attacks centered in Al-Musaynah in Al-Saeed District - an area where the organization's elements had been stationed for years and used it as a stronghold to manage its terrorist operations in the governorate.

Crackdown on terrorism

 The continuation of the security campaigns in Shabwa and Abyan, and sending more reinforcements to the areas witnessing booby-trapped attacks, confirms the determination of the southern forces to continue the war against these elements and to completely end their presence in the two governorates.

Security sources revealed to "NewsYemen" that large reinforcements were recently pushed towards the areas of Al-Mahfad and Mudiyah in Abyan Governorate, and others to the Musina'a area in Shabwa Governorate, with the aim of supporting the forces stationed there, which are subjected to treacherous attacks by terrorist elements.

The sources said that there is seriousness in the war against terrorism and its eradication from Abyan and Shabwa, explaining that directives were issued by the leadership of the southern forces to form support brigades from the people of Abyan to lead the war against terrorist elements and secure all the province's directorates from the danger of these elements.

She pointed out that the first battalion of the Support and Resilience Brigades in Abyan graduated and actually began its field missions to spread in the areas of the districts of Al-Mahfad and Mudiya, which is a first stage in preparation for deployment in all the governorate’s directorates, tracking terrorist cells and defeating them from Abyan once and for all.

Anti-fraternal campaigns

 Recently, the southern forces, stationed in Abyan, were able to seize a number of explosive devices planted by terrorist elements on main roads in Al-Mahfad, Mudiya and Wadi Omran.  This was also accompanied by the deactivation of the Shabwa Defense Forces, similar explosive devices that were planted on main roads to target the movement of forces and security patrols.

There is a great match between the camouflaged explosive devices that were seized in the terrorist hideouts and the devices planted by the Houthi militia to target the army forces and the popular resistance in several Yemeni governorates.  This confirms the reality of coordination and the relationship of service between terrorist organizations and the Houthi militia - Iran's arm in Yemen.

The return of bombings and attacks to the regions of Abyan, accompanied by the Brotherhood’s media launching frantic campaigns against the southern forces, in an attempt to dismantle the adherence of the forces participating in the war against terrorism and weaken their role in securing the areas that were purified as part of the operations “The Arrows of the East in Abyan” and “The Arrows of the East in Abyan”.  South" in Shabwa.

The Brotherhood's media circulated news about defections and clashes between units of the Shabwa Defense Forces, and at other times clashes between the southern forces and the Abyan tribes in the central region.

The response to these campaigns came quickly through the issuance of a statement by the Shabwa Defense Forces Command, denying the validity of the rumors and fabrications being circulated aimed at targeting the forces and thwarting their efforts to secure Shabwa and combat terrorism and extremism.

According to the statement, "what is being circulated on social media and news websites about the occurrence of tensions between the units of the Second Brigade and the First Brigade, Shabwa Defense, or the creation of two points next to each other at the eastern entrance to the city is incorrect."

He stressed that there is only one point at the eastern gate of the city and that the advanced soldier is a service in addition to strengthening security measures for the point, indicating that the defense forces are working to enhance security and stability in the province.

The statement indicated that the forces of the Second Brigade of Shabwa Defense are implementing the directives of Bin Al-Wazir, Governor of Shabwa Governorate, regarding the task of securing the capital, Ataq, maintaining security and stability, and protecting citizens.

He pointed out that the media kitchens of the hostile forces cannot undermine the Shabwa Defense Forces, through rumors and lies, calling on all the people of Shabwa not to be drawn into what is being promoted by the paid trumpets that only want to destabilize security and stability in the province.

Houthi Brotherhood rumors, another weapon of al-Qaeda

 What draws attention during the media campaigns that targeted the southern forces is the joint coordination between the Houthis and the Muslim Brotherhood, who adopted a unified discourse to support terrorist organizations after they suffered painful blows and successive defeats in Shabwa and Abyan.  The recent operations that made them lose the possibility of resuming their operational activity and the lack of material and human funding.

The "Southern Shield" website, the spokesperson for the Southern Forces, published a report in which it clarified that the booby-trapped attacks carried out by al-Qaeda members from time to time are nothing but attempts to gain publicity with the presence of the organization and an attempt to rehabilitate its members psychologically.  The success of this matter is linked to the media coverage of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Houthis who support them and who seek to spread the moral motivation of the elements of the organization and make imaginary victories for them.

The website of the Southern Forces confirmed that the propaganda and rumor serving the terrorist elements is related to the size of their losses, and comes from its Houthi Brotherhood sources as an attempt to achieve a goal expressed by the leaders of the organization in their speeches, specifically the speech of the leader of Al-Qaeda, Khaled Batarfi, who invited and begged the tribes of Abyan and Shabwa to support his elements.

The Brotherhood and Houthi media decided to pump malicious rumors aimed at cohesion between the tribes and their brothers and sons, the heroes of the southern forces. This came to avoid the repercussions of the recent statements made by Batarfi admitting defeat, and as a clear attempt to raise the morale of the remaining members of the organization or those who fled outside Shabwa and Abyan.