Al Qaeda killed 15 tribesmen in retaliation for killing one of them

By Nasser Arrabyee/30/07/2011

At least 15 tribesmen were killed by Al Qaeda operatives in a tribal check point close to the coastal city of Zinjubar in the southern province of Abyan, said tribal source Saturday.

Al Qaeda operatives attacked the check point in Shukrah, 48 km east of Zinjubar, at Friday night after the tribesmen killed an Al Qaeda fighter and arrested another in the same check point, the sources said.

The cars and weapons of the tribesmen ,mostly from Al Marakish tribe, were taken by the Al Qaeda operatives.

Al Qaeda implemented the attack in retaliation for the killing of their comrade earlier on Friday, said the sources.

Earlier on Friday, one of Al Qaeda operative from Mareb called Saleh Ali Faras was killed while his friend Al Mekdad Saleh Tuaiman from Mareb also was arrested when both of them clashed with the tribesmen in the check point of Shaykh Salem between Zinjubar and Shukrah along the coast of the Gulf of Aden, said the tribal sources.

The two men were trying to escape to their province Mareb.
The tribal and military blockade on Zinjubar, which was held by Al Qaeda late last May, started last week. But Al Qaeda is still controlling about half of the city.

A military source said that guerilla war of Al Qaeda and their style of using the suicide bombings against the forces delayed army and tribesmen from totally controlling the city.

“We need some time to take some technical steps to avoid Al Qaeda suicide operations and also to weaken their abilities by blockading,” the military official said on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to talk to press.