Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility on Thursday for Wednesday’s attack against the Fourth Brigade, which headquarters is located in Aden. The terror attack which took place early on Wednesday and claimed the lives of a reported 20 people, among whom civilians, aimed to disable Aden’s first line of defence as terror militants seek to set up roots in the seaport city, keen on replicating 2011 scenario, when the group seized large swathes of lands.
US-based SITE Intelligence Group, which acts as monitor for all Islamic extremist organizations carried al-Qaeda’s message, confirming its admission of guilt to the press.
Ansar Allah, an offshoot of al-Qaeda in Yemen warned that the attack is part of its anti-US campaign in the impoverished nation. Just as it did in December 2013, when Islamists targeted the Defence Ministry to allegedly take down a drone operating room, the group said it wanted to eliminate one of Yemen-US drone command centres in the region. Officials at the Defence Ministry reported that six soldiers were killed and 14 wounded, while three passers-by including a seven-year-old child also died.
Islamists bragged their men killed 50 Yemeni soldiers, a statement which has been categorically denied by military officials.
This new attack comes only days after the government an extraordinary session with members of Cabinet as to address Yemen’s deteriorating security situation. It is likely calls from the Interior Ministry to set in place a new set of sanctions against radical Islamists and their affiliates will in the light of recent events carry additional weight.