As reports of an al-Qaeda resurgence in Yemen southern territories have plagued the impoverished nation, painful reminders of a time not too long ago (2012) when the terror group managed to carve out large swathes of lands in the southern province of Abyan and self-proclaimed both the cities of Jaar and Zinjibar, Islamic Caliphates.
18 months after the armed forces and pro-government tribesmen partnered up to force out of Abyan all terror insurgents, al-Qaeda has managed once again to slip through Yemen’ security cracks, exploiting every nook and cranny to erode Yemen security apparatus, determined to capitalize on political instability and calls for secession to stage its return in power.
This Sunday a member of the Popular Resistance Committee in Abyan, a group of pro-government tribesmen dedicated to fighting al-Qaeda in the province confirmed that two of his men were killed overnight in an ambush set up by terror militants. The two men were gunned down in a stretch of road northeast of Zinijibar on between Lauder and Moudia.
While al-Qaeda failed to claim responsibility for this latest attack the Popular Resistance committee is adamant the hit bears the hallmarks of the terror group.
Although the central government has been keen to play down al-Qaeda threat, affirming it remains in control of the situation, security experts have expressed concerns the terror group is setting up a perimeter in Yemen’s restive southern region, continuously testing the resolve of local tribes and local institutions.