![Yemeni tribesmen attend a tribal meeting in the capital Sanaa on August 14th, 2014, to discuss the recent Al-Qaeda attacks on the Yemeni military in the province of Hadramaut. Tribes in Shabwa province will be taking part in efforts to oust al-Qaeda from their areas alongside the Shabwa elite forces. [Mohammed Huwais/AFP]](/cnmi_am/images/2017/08/11/9154-yemen-tribes-qaeda-700_496.webp)
A delegation of al-Awalik tribal chiefs met with Arab coalition commanders in Balhaf on Wednesday (August 9th) to demand that members of their tribe be integrated into the Shabwa elite forces, local media reported.
The elite forces, trained by the UAE, on August 3rd launched a "major operation" to capture al-Qaeda strongholds in Shabwa province in response to a series of attacks on their security and military checkpoints.
The Shabwa elite forces received their training at Hadramaut elite forces camps under the supervision of Arab coalition forces.
They had been re-deployed to some areas in Shabwa as part of the coalition's efforts to combat terrorism, and al-Qaeda in particular.
"The coalition's command has given the tribesmen a chance to apply as part of the new conscription drive in the next few weeks, provided they have no links whatsoever with al-Qaeda," said Shabwa elite forces commander Brig. Gen. Khalid al-Azmi.
"The tribal chiefs were requested to expel tribesmen who are members of al-Qaeda from their areas in order to avoid new military campaigns there," he told Al-Mashareq.
They confirmed "they will not keep silent over fellow tribesmen who belong to al-Qaeda", al-Azmi said, adding that tribal leaders also expressed their support for the elite forces' efforts to clear Shabwa of the group's elements.
