Al Qaeda terrorists evicted from Yemen province

Sanaa, Sep 21 (IANS) Yemeni government forces have evicted scores of Al Qaeda terrorists from the war-torn country's southern province of Abyan following days of armed confrontations, a military official confirmed.

"Military units of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), which are part of Yemen's government, attacked Al Qaeda hideouts and positions in various mountainous areas of turbulent Abyan, making headway on the ground," the official told Xinhua news agency.

STC troops' anti-terror operations is still in progress and have forced Al Qaeda militants to leave various strongholds in Abyan, including the large valley of Omaran, after leaving terrorist casualties, the official confirmed.

"After expelling Al Qaeda militants from their bastions in Abyan, the STC troops backed by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition began preparations to storm more mountainous areas controlled by the terror group."

Last month, the STC troops launched a major anti-terror operation code-named "Arrows of the East" in Abyan to combat terror groups.

The Yemen-based Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) network has been responsible for many high-profile attacks against the security forces in the country's southern provinces.

The AQAP has exploited years of deadly conflict between the Yemeni government and Houthi militia to expand its presence in the war-ravaged Arab country.