Yemeni military security personnel sit in the back of a pick up truck at the airport in the southern city of Aden on January 3, 2021. AFP
Yemeni military security personnel sit in the back of a pick up truck at the airport in the southern city of Aden on January 3, 2021. AFP
Yemeni military security personnel sit in the back of a pick up truck at the airport in the southern city of Aden on January 3, 2021. AFP
Yemeni military security personnel sit in the back of a pick up truck at the airport in the southern city of Aden on January 3, 2021. AFP

Yemen: government forces smash Al Qaeda network in dawn raids


  • English
  • Arabic

Security authorities in Hadramawt province, south-east Yemen, on Saturday announced successful raids on hideouts of Al Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula.

"Our forces carried out raids in the early hours on Friday, a large-scale operation during which local police collaborated with troops from the Hadramawt elite forces, raiding several hideouts in Dawan, Al Dhulaiyah and Ras Al Hiweira," a security official told The National on Saturday.

“Our troops clashed with Al Qaeda elements for about four hours while raiding their hideouts."

The official said that after the fighting, terrorists were detained and a large amount of weapons and ammunition were seized.

“The terrorists were planning to carry out operations across the province of Hadramawt, but the plot was thwarted due to information we received regarding their movement,” he said.

Weapons confiscated included short-range rockets, rocket-propelled grenade launchers and boxes containing different types of ammunition, and explosive devices.

The security chief of Al Dhulaiyah, Capt Waleed bin Shamlan, confirmed that terrorists were captured on the battlefield but declined to say how many.

The raids follow an increase in assassinations by Aqap in the Wadi Hadramawt area.

In late December, gunmen assassinated a policeman at a checkpoint at the western entrance of Sayoun city, in central Hadramawt.

That attack followed the assassination of four people in March in a single day, in Sayoun and Al Qaten.

Al Qaeda largely withdrew from Al Mukalla in Hadramawt in 2016 after government and Emirati soldiers took control of the city.

The city had been used by the extremists to amass a fortune amid the chaos of civil war.

The port city of Mukalla was the most populous Yemeni city under direct Al Qaeda control from 2015 to 2016, when the army and its regional allies seized control.

Al Qaeda in Yemen has struggled in recent years after sustained security operations by Yemen’s armed forces and allies in the Coalition.

US air strikes have also hit the group, which rose to international infamy in 2009 after a failed plot to bomb an American airliner over the city of Chicago.

The group’s leader, Qasim Al Rimi, was killed in a US drone strike in February, four years after his predecessor, Nasir Al Wuhayshi, was killed by US aircraft.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

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

What sanctions would be reimposed?

Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:

  • An arms embargo
  • A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
  • A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
  • A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
  • Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Results

2.15pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,950m

Winner: Hello, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihi (trainer).

2.45pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,800m

Winner: Right Flank, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.

3.15pm: Handicap Dh115,000 1,000m

Winner: Leading Spirit, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.

3.45pm: Jebel Ali Mile Group 3 Dh575,000 1,600m

Winner: Chiefdom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.

4.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,400m

Winner: Ode To Autumn, Patrick Cosgrave, Satish Seemar.

4.45pm: Shadwell Farm Conditions Dh125,000 1,200m

Winner: Last Surprise, James Doyle, Simon Crisford.

5.15pm: Handicap Dh85,000 1,200m

Winner: Daltrey, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihi.

In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20WonderTree%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20April%202016%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Muhammad%20Waqas%20and%20Muhammad%20Usman%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Karachi%2C%20Pakistan%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%2C%20and%20Delaware%2C%20US%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Special%20education%2C%20education%20technology%2C%20assistive%20technology%2C%20augmented%20reality%3Cbr%3EN%3Cstrong%3Eumber%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E16%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGrowth%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Grants%20from%20the%20Lego%20Foundation%2C%20UAE's%20Anjal%20Z%2C%20Unicef%2C%20Pakistan's%20Ignite%20National%20Technology%20Fund%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The story of Edge

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.

It brought together 25 state-owned and independent companies specialising in weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.

Edge has an annual revenue of $5 billion and employs more than 12,000 people.

Some of the companies include Nimr, a maker of armoured vehicles, Caracal, which manufactures guns and ammunitions company, Lahab

 

HIJRA

Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy

Director: Shahad Ameen

Rating: 3/5

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

The Voice of Hind Rajab

Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees

Director: Kaouther Ben Hania

Rating: 4/5