Five soldiers killed in fight with Al Qaeda militants after assassinating officials

Fierce clashes have started between reinforcement troops and Al Qaeda fighters
Governor escaped assassination, hours after killing security official

By Nasser Arrabyee/14/10/2010
At least five soldiers were killed and more than 10 injured in clashes between Al Qaeda fighters and security forces in Al Jezah area close to Mudia town, Abyan province south of Yemen, local sources said late Thursday.

The clashes took place when Al Qaeda fighters fired RPGs on military vehicles within a
reinforcement campaign while on their way to strike a besieged group believed to be behind killing a security official this morning and attempting to assassinate more senior officials this afternoon.
Three vehicles were burnt in the fierce clashes in which two of the attackers were arrested and some others were killed and injured, the sources said.

Earlier, at least two people were killed and several others injured when gunmen believed to be Al Qaeda militants tried to assassinate the governor of Abyan in the restive south of Yemen only hours after killing a senior security official in the same province , local sources said Thursday.

The governor of Abyan Ahmed Al Maysary, escaped an assassination attempt when Al Qaeda suspects made an ambush for the governor’s convoy in the area of Mueen between Mudia and Zunjubar, killing two at least of his bodyguards and injuring four others. One of the two who died was the governor’s brother, Ali Al Maysary, the sources said.

The governor Al Maysary, along with a number of officials including the security director of Abyan, Abdul Razak Al Marwani, were in their way to Mudia town whose security director was killed earlier in the day by Al Qaeda suspects. The governor Al Maysary returned to the capital of the province Zunjubar after clashes with the gunmen .
One of the attackers was arrested according to local sources.

According to local sources, a military campaign started later after noon to lay a siege on a group of Al Qaeda suspects under the leadership of Anwar Al Ambari, in a mounteous place close to town of Mudia. Anwar Al Ambari is a relative of a local leader of Al Qaeda killed earlier this year in MUdia in a security operation implemented by the government troops. Anwar Al Ambari and his group were accused of killing the security director of Mudia, major, Abdullah Al Baham earlier on Thursday.

The sources also said that tribesmen from the tribe of Al Baham, are supporting the security forces against the besieged group.

Major Abdullah Mohammed Al Baham, was killed, and two of his bodyguards were injured, when gunmen opened fire on him in the middle of Mudia town, the sources said.
The director of Mudia district, Mohammed Al Nakhe said Al Qaeda militants were behind the killing of Al Baham. The official also said that security forces are surrounding the place where the attackers are hiding.

However, local sources said major Al Baham was killed while on his way for dispersing demonstration organized by the separatist southern movement in Mudia.

Thousands of supporters of the separatist southern movement staged anti-unity demonstrations in the southern provinces of Lahj, Al Dhale’e and Abyan . Carrying flags of former state of the south, demonstrators called for separation between the south and north which united in 1990.