The Yemen Security Belt Forces played a significant role in countering terrorism in southern Yemen in recent years, the US State Department has said.
The Yemen Security Belt Forces are units that were formed by a decree issued by President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi in May 2016. They fought against Al Qaeda in Lahj province, near Aden, pushing the militants out of the governorate in 2016.
“Security Belt Forces loyal to the Southern Transitional Council continued to play an important role in counter-terrorism efforts, as they exercised control over significant parts of Aden, Abyan, and Shabwah,” the department's 2020 country report for Yemen said.
ISIS in Yemen remained considerably smaller in size and influence compared with Al Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula (AQAP) but remained operationally active and continued to claim attacks, the report, released on Thursday, said.
The Al Qaeda affiliate remained active in central Yemen, most notably in Al Bayda, demonstrating its ability to move within the country.
The State Department said the number of attacks attributed to AQAP and ISIS decreased last year, compared with 2019.
According to the US, the extremist groups' tactics included suicide bombings, vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (IEDs) ambushes, armed attacks, kidnappings and assassinations.
Coalition-backed troops have been operating in and around Aden and throughout south Yemen where they have been inflicting blows on ISIS and Al Qaeda, mainly in the provinces of Lahj, Aden and Abyan.
After expelling Al Qaeda from Lahj, the Security Belt Forces drove the extremists from Zinjubar city in Abyan province in August 2016.
In March 2018, the Security Belt Forces launched a large-scale operation against Al Qaeda in Al Mahfed city in eastern Abyan province. Top AQAP leaders were killed during the operation, among them Abu Mohsen Basabrein, who was a senior AQAP leader.
Analysts demand action
Security experts and military analysts have praised the important role played by the Security Belt Forces.
“The Security Belt Forces under the command of the STC were instrumental in helping oust Al Qaeda in a joint effort with the US and Arab Coalition forces from these important areas," Irina Tsukerman, a US national security analyst, told The National.
"Indeed, the STC also was important in the fight against the Houthis, which did not stop being an Iran-backed terrorist group just because Biden removed it from the foreign terrorist organisations list.”
“The STC Security Belt troops were also instrumental in capturing many Al Qaeda cells and conducting successful operations against AQAP hideouts in South Yemen," Ms Tsukerman said
She said that praise in reports is not enough, and that the US should be engaged more directly in close diplomatic discussions and in supporting the STC presence and its forces in South Yemen, to deepen a partnership in fighting terrorism.
“This requires active engagement, economic support and formal understanding that some ideologies contribute to the problems plaguing Yemen and need to be actively fought," Ms Tsukerman said.
"The current attitude of the international communities – that all stakeholders in Yemen are of equal value and should be treated the same – is simply not accurate because extremist and hateful ideologies lead to terrorism and sectarianism, and run counter to the international community and Yemen's interests."
Yemeni military analysts said the US and the international community need to support counter-terrorism units and the Security Belt Forces, which have proved effective in the fight against terrorist groups.
“The Security Belt Forces and the other troops under command of the STC have proved that they are real partner for the international coalition in the fight against terrorism,” Maj Gen Thabet Hussein Saleh, a Yemeni military analyst, told The National.
“These troops need tangible support from the US and the international coalition to keep up the fight against Al Qaeda and ISIS in South Yemen."
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
Jebel Ali Dragons 26 Bahrain 23
Dragons
Tries: Hayes, Richards, Cooper
Cons: Love
Pens: Love 3
Bahrain
Tries: Kenny, Crombie, Tantoh
Cons: Phillips
Pens: Phillips 2
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Aaron Finch, Matt Renshaw, Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (captain), Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Jon Holland, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Rest
(Because Music)
STAGE 4 RESULTS
1 Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 4:51:51
2 David Dekker (NED) Team Jumbo-Visma
3 Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal
4 Elia Viviani (ITA) Cofidis
5 Matteo Moschetti (ITA) Trek-Segafredo
General Classification
1 Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 12:50:21
2 Adam Yates (GBR) Teamn Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:43
3 Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:03
4 Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:43
5 Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The Scale for Clinical Actionability of Molecular Targets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 178hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 280Nm at 1,350-4,200rpm
Transmission: seven-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh209,000
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
India squads
Test squad against Afghanistan: Rahane (c), Dhawan, Vijay, Rahul, Pujara, Karun, Saha, Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Umesh, Shami, Pandya, Ishant, Thakur.
T20 squad against Ireland and England: Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Raina, Pandey, Dhoni, Karthik, Chahal, Kuldeep, Sundar, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, Pandya, Kaul, Umesh.
ODI squad against England: Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Shreyas, Rayudu, Dhoni, Karthik, Chahal, Kuldeep, Sundar, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, Pandya, Kaul, Umesh
