From the roads of Shabwa to the valleys of Abyan... Terrorism is under the hammer of the southern forces

English - Monday 22 May 2023 الساعة 05:56 pm
Abyan, newsyemen, private:

The southern forces are recording continuous successes in efforts to maintain security and stability and combat terrorism and extremism in the regions of the governorates of Abyan and Shabwa, south and southeast of Yemen. The forces in the two governorates are waging an open war against elements of terrorist organizations, foremost of which are al-Qaeda and ISIS in the two governorates.

Two parallel operations launched by the southern forces; The first in Abyan under the name "Siham Al-Sharq", and the other in Shabwa under the name "Siham Al-Janub", both of which contributed to restoring public tranquility to citizens, ending security imbalances, and normalizing general conditions.

Terrorist organizations have received painful blows as a result of the sporadic campaigns launched by the southern forces from time to time, to raid terrorist dens and fortifications in which these elements have been stationed for years. The forces were able to purify major terrorist strongholds and outposts in Abyan and Shabwa, amid local, regional and international praise for the efforts achieved by the southern forces in terms of combating terrorism and eliminating this dangerous scourge.

Clearing the last strongholds of Al-Qaeda in Al-Mahfad

The last blows that al-Qaeda elements received in Abyan, in mid-May, after clearing and securing one of the most important valleys that al-Qaeda elements used as a main stronghold to manage booby-trapping operations and target the forces participating in Siham al-Janub in Abyan governorate, in the south of the country.

Wadi Al-Khayala, on the outskirts of Al-Mahfad district, has been away for many years from the security and military campaigns that were launched in order to eliminate hotbeds of terrorism and extremism in Al-Mahfad.

During the past few days, the southern forces, specifically units of the 1st Support Brigade and the emergency forces of the security belt, managed to storm this terrorist stronghold under a military operation called "Abyan Tiger 2".

The storming and cleansing operation was quick, and the forces were able to penetrate the valley and engage the terrorist elements who were holed up in it. The forces found a large amount of mines and explosive devices, some of which were camouflaged and identical to the explosive devices planted by the Houthi militia - Iran's arm in Yemen, on the battle fronts in the liberated areas.

Brigadier General Nasr Atef Al-Yafei, Commander of the First Support and Support Brigade, confirmed that the forces are continuing the process of securing and clearing all areas where terrorist remnants are stationed in the Al-Mahfad district and the rest of the districts of Abyan governorate, indicating that the terrorist elements were taking refuge from the "Wadi Al-Khayala" and the mountainous reefs surrounding it. It has a cache of explosives that it uses to destabilize the security and stability of the governorate.

He said, "The forces of the 1st Brigade, Support and Support, and the emergency forces of the security belt managed to kill and wound a number of terrorist elements, and took control of nearly 90% of the sites that house terrorist al-Qaeda elements in the mountains and valleys of Al-Khayala."

Brigadier General al-Yafei confirmed that "units of the southern forces continue their military campaigns in those areas with the aim of securing them and preventing terrorist elements from infiltrating through them into border towns and villages from those areas to target civilians and southern forces."

Al-Qaeda uses a mountainous triangle between Shabwa, Abyan and Al-Bayda as a haven for the movements of its members, and as main lines for movement between the three governorates, and for carrying out terrorist operations against the southern forces and their residents. Clearing the Cavalry Valley represents a strategic point in targeting this mountainous triangle and eradicating the organization from these extremely rugged mountain heights.

In the past days, the southern forces sent more military reinforcements to the Mudiyah district, in the center of Abyan, as part of the deployment plan that the forces intend to implement in order to 

pursue the remnants of al-Qaeda and end the terrorist attacks it carries out against the forces in the district.

spread in Shabwa 

The successive developments in Abyan, were accompanied by parallel security moves carried out by the Shabwa Defense Forces in order to impose security and stability, track down terrorist elements and clamp down on their movements between the regions of Abyan and Shabwa.

The Shabwani forces began a new deployment in the city of Ataq and neighboring districts, especially in the Musina'a area, which was cleared as part of the "Southern Arrows" operation late last year. The new deployment comes within the framework of a comprehensive security plan aimed at normalizing the situation, maintaining stability and establishing public tranquility in the districts of Shabwa.

The deployment also included the deployment of units of the Shabwa Defense Forces along the main line linking the city of Ataq, the center of the governorate, and the Al-Abr area in the neighboring Hadramout governorate.

Shabwa Defense Forces accounts published a video recording showing the start of the deployment process that the forces carried out on the public road as a first stage.

The forces said that the deployment of the units comes within the plan to complete the deployment and secure the districts of Shabwa Governorate, and within the first phase of the international line linking Ataq and Al-Abr to secure travelers, establish security and stability, and protect citizens.

Supporting the Houthis to save Al Qaeda

The continued tightening of the screws on the movements of al-Qaeda elements in Abyan and Shabwa prompted the Houthi militia - the organization's strategic ally - to launch violent battles in several axes to relieve pressure on the organization, which is now living its last breath in the two provinces.

The Houthi militia escalated its attacks on the Shabwa Defense Forces in the border strip with Al-Bayda Governorate, not to mention the failed air strikes carried out by Iran-backed militias through their drones against the Shabwa areas. The campaigns to purify the Cavalry Valley in Abyan were accompanied by violent attacks launched by the militias in the Al-Hidd Yafaa front - Lahj governorate, in an effort to save Al-Qaeda from the fall.

The Houthi militia also carried out repeated skirmishes against the southern forces stationed in the Aqabat Tharah front, in Abyan governorate, amidst the forces' ability to thwart infiltration operations and repeated attacks through which the militia seeks to support terrorist elements facing the hammer of the southern forces in the liberated areas.

The Houthi militia's escalation of its military operations against the governorates of Shabwa, Abyan and Lahj reflects the nature of the close and servile relationship between the elements of the terrorist al-Qaeda organization and the Houthi militia.

The Houthi militia was not satisfied with the military escalation, but rather expanded logistical support for the terrorist organization through an open supply line of explosives and camouflaged explosive devices that largely match the explosive devices planted by Houthi cells in the liberated areas.

Houthi coordination and support arrived to hand over to Al-Qaeda, Iranian-made drones, to launch terrorist attacks against the positions of the southern forces. The first attack carried out by al-Qaeda against the Shabwa Defense Forces took place in the Al-Musaina area of Al-Saeed District on May 12, 2023.

Al-Qaeda admitted, in a statement issued by it, the launch of the air attack, which confirms the truth of the information that talked about Al-Qaeda receiving a shipment of drones from the Houthis during the last period.

The base's receipt of drones from the Houthis comes within the framework of joint cooperation between the two parties, and in light of Iranian efforts through the Houthis to save the terrorist organization from falling and ending its presence in the southern governorates.

According to military sources, Iran began activating the base card by delivering modern support through the Houthi militias that control the Al-Bayda governorate, which is adjacent to the governorates of Abyan and Shabwa, explaining that the painful blows that the organization received at the hands of the southern forces prompted Iran and the Houthis to move towards strengthening the capabilities of the base and to prevent its fall.

The sources pointed out that the militias took advantage of the recent UN armistice and the aftermath of calm and the period of no war, in order to strengthen the capabilities of Al-Qaeda, through "modern devices and weapons" smuggled from Iran; Able to launch air attacks against southern forces.

Iran is the source of terrorism

During the cleansing operations carried out by the East Arrows and South Arrows forces against terrorist strongholds in Abyan and Shabwa, the forces found evidence confirming Iranian support for these elements in order to destabilize security and stability and create chaos and destruction in the two southern governorates.

The official spokesman for the southern armed forces, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad al-Naqeeb, said that Iran and its experts are the main financier of the al-Qaeda terrorist organization in the south, adding: "Every time we receive proof of facts that al-Qaeda and ISIS elements obtain military supplies such as locally manufactured explosives with the same technology used in Caught in the theater of military operations in the face of the Houthi militia.

He pointed out that the Houthi militia acknowledges obtaining its advanced armament from Iran through smuggling lines, especially through the Red Sea, which it controls a large part of, pointing out that the Houthi militia has received Iranian support in many batches, not only at the level of regular supply, but also strategic supply. Iranian planes have a march to strike international interests, whether inside the south or inside Saudi Arabia, all the way to the Emirates.

The official spokesman for the Southern Armed Forces, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Al-Naqeeb, said that the forces participating in Operation "Abyan Tiger 2" managed to reach the terrorist elements who were trying to reposition themselves in the heights and mountains of Wadi Al-Khayala.

He added: "The development and modernization of counter-terrorism tools enabled our forces to reach the location of the terrorist elements, and they were able, with their fire network, to thwart the terrorist elements from their ability to defend themselves, and they fled." complete".

New chapter

A report issued by the American Center for Studies «ACSYS», indicated that the province of Abyan has been plagued by the scourge of terrorism for several years, during which its cities and villages were destroyed, indicating that the launch of the southern forces’ operation “Arrows of the East” against Al-Qaeda is the beginning of a new chapter that will restore peace and stability to the province.

The report said that since the start of Operation Arrows of the East on August 23, 2022, the southern forces consisting of the security belt forces, the Abyan axis, the southern counter-terrorism forces, and the southern resistance, have taken control of major areas and camps in the districts of Khanfar, Ahwar, Lawdar, Al-Wadih, Mudiya and Al-Mahfad, and the cost of Control of Abyan was exorbitant; And the martyrdom of more than 70 soldiers from the southern forces.

The report added: “The launch of the military operation, Arrows of the East, to combat terrorism in Abyan was not a coincidence, but rather a response to the increasing terrorist attacks by al-Qaeda and Houthi cells against the southern forces and civil society.”

At the conclusion of its report, the American Center for Studies urged the need to protect the gains made by the southern forces in combating terrorism in the governorates of Abyan and Shabwa, calling on the Arab coalition and the United States to continue supporting and training these forces, which have repeatedly proven their effectiveness against al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups.

The American Center's report indicated that several security and military operations were launched in the past to liberate Abyan governorate from al-Qaeda control, but those achieved gains often fade due to the control of the Brotherhood, which paved the way for the return of terrorist elements to the governorates of Abyan and Shabwa, as happened in late 2019, allowing Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has freedom of movement and access to the camps and hideouts from which they were expelled.