Yemen President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi instructed Defense Ministry to send the Counterterrorism Units in the Central Security Forces, the Republican Guards and the Special Guard to the trouble-torn restive southern province of Abyan, trusted media sources reported on Thursday.

Counterterrorism units are equipped and trained by USA and UK and other countries involved in the war against terrorism such as France, with the aim of fighting the increasingly dangerous al-Qaeda branch in the country.

However, the Counterterrorism Units (CTU) have not been involved so far for such purposes.

Hadi wants the well-trained forces to carry out unprecedented cleansing operations in Abyan, in which al-Qaeda has taken control of two towns and laying siege on the third, and Shabwa and Lahj provinces, according to the sources quoted by Marib Press.

The gulf Al-Kalij newspaper reported on Thursday citing familiar sources that CTU forces will be sent within the coming two days to areas controlled by Ansar al-Sharia, al-Qaeda offshoot in the country, and will be involved in streets gun battles with the terrorists.

Hadi has further ordered the commanders of the Eastern and Southern Military Regions to provide the CTU forces with all required assistance, according to Al-Kalij.