21 members of Emirati-backed militia killed in al-Qaeda attack in Yemen

An attack by the al-Qaeda terrorist organisation against a military checkpoint in southern Yemen killed 21 members of a local militia supported by the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, military sources said.  

The attack, these sources explained to Efe, took place during the early hours of the morning at a post of the Security Belt Forces, a militia led by the Southern Transitional Council (STC) that seeks the separation of southern Yemen, in the province of Abyan, and at least eight of the attackers were also killed.  

The attackers, who belong to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), used rocket launchers, machine guns and hand grenades. 

Among their victims was a commander of an anti-terrorist brigade of the Security Belt Forces. 

This militia was deployed last month in Abyan province after forcing the troops of the internationally recognised government, with which the CTS is allied, to withdraw. 

Both Abyan and the neighbouring oil-rich province of Shabua have the presence of the terrorist groups al-Qaeda and Islamic State, which are fighting each other for control of territory and carry out sporadic attacks against the security forces, taking advantage of the war between the government and the Shiite Houthi rebels. 

This is the deadliest action in the last three years in Yemen by AQAP, which on 7 May left at least eight militiamen from the Security Belt Forces dead and on 22 June killed at least 10 government troops. 

In February they also abducted five UN workers in Abyan and last Saturday released a video of one of them calling on the international community to comply with his captors' demands. 

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, created in 2009, reached its peak in 2015 and 2016 in southern Yemen, but its presence has been dwindling due to drone attacks and infighting.