Abyan (South24)

On Thursday, February 27, the Southern Armed Forces carried out a military operation against the Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in Abyan governorate, that led to the killing of at least three members of the terror organization and wounding of others, spokesman for the forces Lt Col Mohammed Al-Naqib told 'South24 Center'.

Al-Naqib said: "The operation was carried out by the support and assistance brigades and the Security Belt Forces through a large deployment in the mountain ranges linking Abyan to Shabwa governorate, as well as Al-Bayda governorate, which is under Houthi control."

#BREAKING

Southern forces: Several terrorists were killed and injured during our operation in Mudiyah district of Abyan Governorate #south24 pic.twitter.com/oGHAbI9NBY

— South24 | English (@South24E) February 26, 2025

He pointed out that the deployment was across four axes — "Wadi Oemran, Wadi Al-Rafd, Wadi Al-Khatma, and Wadi Matar, reaching the areas of Al-Rabiz adjacent to the Hatib district in Shabwa governorate."

The military spokesman said that a soldier from the Southern forces was killed while another was wounded during the operation against AQAP.

He said that these mountain ranges represent the last refuge for the extremist organization after it lost its main camps in the central Abyan districts as a result of the Arrows of the East operation carried out by the Southern forces.

A Houthi Cell in Shabwa

In a related context, the Shabwa Defense Forces, a branch of the Southern forces, announced on February 24 the arrest of a Houthi cell involved in terrorist acts, including targeting oil pipelines and conspiring to assassinate military and security leaders.

The Shabwa Defense Forces broadcast a video on its page on the X platform showing the confessions of the cell members who stated that the Houthis tried to establish an organization called Harakt Ahrar Shabwa to stir up chaos and commit violence in Shabwa Governorate.

Meeting in Aden

In the capital, Aden, the President of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) and member of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), Aidrous Al-Zubaidi, met with security and military commanders of the Southern forces to discuss ongoing operations against terrorism and battle fronts with the Houthis.

The official STC media said that Al-Zubaidi, who returned to Aden a few days ago, gave directions for raising the combat readiness and for preparations to "defend the cause of the South and the people".