Abyan (South24)

Abyan Governorate, in South Yemen, witnessed armed clashes between the Southern forces and the Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) last Tuesday (December 3) and Sunday (December 1), which resulted in several deaths and injuries to the terror group, while the Southern forces suffered some casualties, according to military sources.

The Southern forces' website said that AQAP elements targeted military sites of the Southern forces in Al-Kassara area in Wadi Oemran. The clashes resulted in the killing and wounding of a number of elements of the organization. A soldier from the Third Backup and Support Brigade was also killed while performing his military duty.

Colonel Mohammed Al-Naqib, the Southern forces spokesman, said that the extremist organization has sustained heavy losses since the launch of the ’Arrows of the East‘ and ’Arrows of the South‘ operations in Abyan and Shabwa governorates. Al-Naqib confirmed that the Southern forces have succeeded in destroying the AQAP’s infrastructure and taking control of its main camps, including the Wadi Oemran camp.

In a separate incident, the Southern forces thwarted a terrorist attack launched by AQAP elements in Wadi Oemran last Sunday (December 1). Military field sources reported that the forces of the Second Backup and Support Brigade were able to repel the attack, forcing the militants to withdraw after inflicting heavy losses on them.

In another incident on Sunday, five soldiers from the Southern forces were injured when an explosive device went off targeting a military vehicle in Mudiyah district, Abyan Governorate, according to the same sources.

In a separate context, the European Union Naval Mission in the Red Sea ’Aspides‘ said in a statement published on Facebook Thursday that the crew of the cargo ship MV ISA Star, flying the Panama flag, were rescued in the Red Sea after sending a distress signal.

Reuters quoted Aspides as saying that "the crew was forced to abandon the ship," after it reported flooding in the engine room. The agency quoted a maritime security source as saying that the "the ship experienced engine problems," while another source reported “an internal explosion”.

The sources said that the ship was about 100 nautical miles from the port of Hodeidah in Yemen when it requested assistance.

It is not yet clear whether the incident is linked to the operations of the Iran-backed Houthis, who have been launching attacks on international shipping lanes near Yemen since November 2023 in what they claim is support for the Palestinians.