Yemen’s Abyan tribes rise up against Al Qaeda

Sanaa, Asharq Al-Awsat – The Abyan province in Southern Yemen is witnessing violent armed clashes between the Yemeni military and tribes – on one hand – and armed militia that the Yemeni authorities claim to be affiliated to the Al Qaeda organization on the other.  Local sources revealed that the Yemeni military and Abyan tribes reached an agreement to expel Al Qaeda affiliated fighters from the southern Yemeni cities and regions where they are based, and that this fighting has resulted in dozens of casualties on both sides.

A well-informed source told Asharq Al-Awsat that more than 50 militants have been killed in heavy fighting in Abyan province on Monday.  This was after the Yemeni Mika 25 Brigade, along with tribal and revolutionary gunmen, took part in the largest-scale attack on the Al Qaeda affiliated militia since the Abyan tribes announced their support for the Yemeni military, and their joint mission to hunt down and expel these Al Qaeda elements.  Yemeni tribes and youth groups in Abyan are coordinating with one another in a bid to confront the armed elements that the Yemeni authorities claim are affiliated to Al Qaeda.

A local source within the Lawdar district of the Abyan governorate – which is one of the most prominent districts under control of the armed militia – revealed that the al-Awazil tribe held a lengthy tribal meeting on Monday in which an agreement was reached not to accept armed elements within Lawdar district, particularly foreign elements.

Yemeni [political] activist and media figure, Abdullah al-Amiri, informed Asharq Al-Awsat that the Abyan tribes had warned the Islamist militia groups to leave the region, whilst reaching a different agreement with the local [Islamist] militants.  The tribes set up checkpoints across the Abyan governorate in order to prevent Islamist militants from entering the region from outside in order to provide support for their embattled comrades.

A youth meeting was also held in Lawdar district which resulted in the Yemeni revolutionary youth also rejected the presence of armed militia in the region, stressing the need to confront and expel them.  This meeting saw the establishment of youth groups charged with protecting and guarding Lawdar neighborhoods.

The Yemeni military sought to coordinate with Abyan tribes in order to regain control of the city of Zinjibar – the capital of the Abyan governorate – which has been under the control of the armed militia for approximately two months.  The armed militia, which according to the Yemeni authorities is affiliated to the Al Qaeda organization, was able to take control of this city after the Yemeni armed forces withdraw from this area last May.  There are claims that this military withdrawal from Zinjibar suggests a level of collusion between the ruling regime [of president Saleh] and this militia.

There are claims that there is a state of confusion within the Al Qaeda ranks in   Zinjibar and the surrounding area, due to weakness in the wireless communication between the Al Qaeda field commanders and the combatants on the ground.  There are also reports of division between the two factions within Al Qaeda, the “Ansar al-Shariah” and another faction made up of local Abyan fighters.  News report indicate that heavy fighting has been taking place in the city of Zinjibar since Sunday morning, between a coalition of governmental and tribal forces, and Islamist militia believed to be affiliated to Al Qaeda and which have been in control of the city since late May.  Local tribal and security sources also claimed that government affiliated tribal forces were able to gain control of a number of fortified positions previously in the hands of the armed militia, whilst army units also bombarded militant positions around the city of Zinjibar.

Other sources revealed that a counter-terrorist unit, in full military equipment, was seen traveling towards Lawdar, in an indication that this counter-terrorism unit will take part in the conflict against the Al Qaeda affiliated militants.

In other news, 5 people were killed and 5 others injured when Yemeni Republic forces shelled the village of Bani Harith south of Sanaa.  A source reported that Yemeni Republican guards based at the Bait Dahran camp shelled a civilian house killing a man named Naji Dahran, his wife, his two daughters, and other members of his family.