Al-Qaeda militants in Yemen late Thursday surrounded a hospital in the southern region of Abyan, 300 kilometers south of the capital, Sanaa and managed to bring out six bodies of comrades killed in airstrikes early on Thursday. They also attacked a security post killing one soldier and capturing two others in what seemed to be a retaliation to Thursday’s military raid on their hideout in Abyan in which 34 alleged al-Qaeda operatives were killed. Other sketchy reprots said Abyan governor had fled the region early Friday fearing al-Qaeda vengence.
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EU Ambassador Says Committed to Assisting Yemen
SANAA, 14 Dec -- The newly appointed ambassador of the European Union (EU) to Yemen, Michele Cervone D Urso Monday said in a statement to the state official news agency, Saba: “The EU will remain strongly committed to support the democratic process in Yemen and a unified, stable and prosperous Yemen,” adding “the EU is committed to boost its ties with Yemen in all fields, to follow a comprehensive way to deal with all challenges and support Yemen.” He said the EU has increased its aid to Yemen to 55 million euros annually, adding “the EU is the first member of the World Trade Organization to finalize this year’s bilateral negotiations with Yemen to join the organization.” “Yemen is an important partner of the EU in the field of humanitarian assistance and support of civil society organizations and the union is working to boost cooperation with Yemen in the fields of assisting refugees, national and maritime security and combating terrorism,” he said, adding “I will do my best to boost partnership between the EU and Yemen.” The EU has recently raised its diplomatic ties with Yemen to the level of ambassador and Cervone D Urso who worked as the charge d’affaires of the European Commission in Sanaa said “Yemen’s stability is crucial to the Yemeni people and to the region as a whole,” adding “the EU’s activities in Yemen will witness large expansion.”
Rebels Blow up 15 Homes, Destroy Mosques in Baqm
SADAA, 02 Oct -- Zaydi Shiite rebels Friday blew up a number of homes and mosques in the border area of Baqm, the ruling party online news, Almotamar, said quoting a local source in the area. The source said “criminal elements demolished 15 homes after they looted them,” adding “these elements also destroyed the main mosque in the village of al-Othman and blew up the mosque of al-Hidar in Baqm.” In other news, four Shiite rebel leaders were killed in clashes with government forces in the northern region of Harf Sufian, the military official website, 26-September said on Friday. A military source told the paper “four dangerous terrorists were killed including Ali Muhammad Habash, and Yahya Muhammad Habash when military units carried out an operation to clean up rebels’ strongholds in Dhu Suliman and Bait al-Qahom in Harf Sufian,” adding “eight other insurgents were killed in farms close to Dhu Suliman.”
UNHCR Says Situation in Northern Yemen ‘Tense’
SANAA, 02 Oct – The UN refugee agency Friday said the situation in Sadaa governorate “remains tense while a fragile calm was reported in Sadaa city. However access to displaced people and civilians in Sdaa remains extremely restricted,” adding “the so-called sixth war had spread to neighboring areas especially to Harf Sufian in Amran governorate and insecurity is also reported in al-Jawf governorate.” In a press statement about the situation in northern Yemen, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Sanaa said “since 2004, the conflict has resulted in the displacement of an estimated 100,000 to 150,000 persons, many of them for the second or the third time. The humanitarian community had repeatedly appealed for a humanitarian truce and for opening humanitarian corridors to allow access and delivery of urgently needed relief items to civilians and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). The fighting has also spread to the Baqim area (20 Kilometers from the Saudi borders). Most of the displaced are stranded and dangerously exposed to the fighting. Those who manage to flee take an immense risk through the dangerous exit road of al-Jawf.” The statement said “UNHCR is requesting USD 5,000,000 to respond to the NFI and protection needs of the IDPs in Yemen. So far, USD 1,200,000 were received from the USA, USD 732,000 from Sweden. However, the operation still short of USD 3,068,000.0.”
