The Yemeni army cleared militants from more parts of Abyan province on Thursday as Al-Qaida continued to receive more devastating blows in the offensive stepped up with support from local fighters and the US, military sources said.
The forces retook control of the Lawder, Modya and Wadhi towns and caused the militants heavy losses, the sources said, pointing out that many militants have been killed and others fled to other parts. Senior Al-Qaida leaders were among the killed, they continued.
The army launched an offensive against the militants more than a month ago and early this week it stepped up the offensive in southern and southeastern regions, mainly in Abyan, to regain control of the areas held last year.
Hundreds of militants including senior leaders have been killed and injured in the battles including those who have been reported dead in drone strikes. Over the past two days, dozens of militants as well as soldiers and local fighters were killed and injured.
This week, the army also took over many positions of the militants and sources have said it is only a matter of time to recapture the whole province.
A massive hunt has been launched for those who fled the battles to other areas in Abyan and nearby provinces as the forces are pushing to clear militants from all areas, the sources added.
Locals celebrated the gains in Abyan towns and more of them joined the forces to battle the remaining militants, the sources said.
Earlier today, military sources said hunts for Al-Qaida militants have been extended to other provinces after the forces advanced forcing them to flee.
Exploiting the escalating unrest in mid-2011, Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)), the most dangerous branch of the global terrorist organization, seized key towns in Abyan including the capital Zinjibar.
But the power-sharing government, formed after the unrest, decided to clear the militants from the towns with direct support from the US.
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