SANAA, Yemen – Al Qaeda militants in
Yemen launched a major attack targeting army, security and government
buildings in a southern city, killing at least 16 troops overnight,
security and military officials said Saturday.
The attack struck an army headquarters, the central security
headquarters, the Central Bank building, the traffic police department,
the post office and the agricultural bank in Sayoun, a city in southern
Hadramawt province.
The attackers, however, failed to storm the army command and the
security headquarters due to the fierce resistance put up by the
government troops, the officials said. They said the attackers used car
bombs at the beginning of their assault.
They said Jalal Baliedy, a prominent Al Qaeda leader, led the attack
with dozens of militants who entered the city from different directions
in several SUVs. They said fighters split into groups, with each group
assigned to attack a certain target.
They identified Baliedy as an Al Qaeda leader in the port town of
Zanzibar in south-central Yemen. They said he now leads an Al Qaeda
group called "The Hungry Lions."
The sound of explosions and gunfire terrified residents of Sayoun, many of whom hid inside their homes during the attack.
The officials said the attackers also suffered casualties, but they
were not able to estimate how many because the militants evacuated them
when they withdrew.
Source Fox News
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