21 Militants Killed in Fighting in South Yemen
Yemeni government troops killed 21 al-Qaida fighters in the latest clashes in the country’s south, military officials said Saturday, while Washington commended Yemen for successfully routing militants from some strategic southern strongholds.
The military officials said 17 militants died in fighting that raged until early morning around Azan town in southern Shabwa province. Six soldiers were wounded in those clashes, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with military regulations.
Four other militants and one soldier died in fighting Saturday in the Hassan valley area in the adjoining Abyan province, the officials also said. The valley is located east of the provincial capital of Zinjibar, which al-Qaida captured last year and held until recently along with several other towns in Abyan.
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