Officials in the southern Yemeni province of Abyan confirmed on Thursday a pro-government tribal militia had successfully conducted a raid against a terror near the village of al-Qafr, in the state's ongoing efforts to rid Yemen from extremist Islamists.
According to preliminary reports several tribal fighters were wounded in the clashes.
Ever since 2011, tribes have joined in with the military to support a national counter-terror initiative, using their men and knowledge of the area to track down terror cells and crack down on militants in Yemen southern provinces, enabling the military to free some much needed resources.
The People's Protectors as they are often called have so far foiled al-Qaeda many attempts to recapture territories in Abyan, forcing further into hidings the group's militias.
With Yemen National Dialogue Conference in full swing, the Defense and Interior ministries are both keeping a close eye on all security related incidents, determined to contain any threat.
In a related incident a security officer was target in the eastern province of Hadhramawt, in what appears to be a al-Qaeda-led assassination attack. The officer, Hamood al-Khader thankfully escaped unscathed.
Fears are that al-Qaeda will use the NDC and the mobilization an additional 60,000 troops in the capital, Sana'a to destabilize less militarized areas and regain footing in the impoverished nation.
Back in 2011, al-Qaeda used the popular uprising and a vacuum of power to seize large sawthes of lands in the province of Abyan. It managed to turn Jaar and Zinjibar into Islamic caliphates, forcing thousands of civilians to flee their homes.