![Yemeni forces prepare to head to the Abyan provincial capital of Zinjibar to launch an offensive to recapture the town from al-Qaeda in this file photo from August 14th, 2016. Security forces continue to battle al-Qaeda remnants in the province. [Saleh al-Obeidi/AFP]](/cnmi_am/images/2019/02/14/16747-Yemen-Abyan-forces-700_496.webp)
The Security Belt Forces on Wednesday (February 13th) carried out a military operation against al-Qaeda elements in Abyan’s al-Mahfad district.
The assault came in response to an al-Qaeda attack on the UAE-backed Security Belt Forces in the same area that day, in which three soldiers were killed and others were injured.
In the initial attack, a Security Belt Forces unit was hit by an improvised explosive device (IED) on the main road in al-Mahfad, after leaving their camp.
"The Security Belt Forces carried out a military operation in the afternoon targeting the mountains surrounding the area from which the earlier al-Qaeda attack against them was launched," said al-Mahfad mayor Ahmed al-Rabei.
"The clashes between the Belt Forces and al-Qaeda elements lasted for several hours, and about eight al-Qaeda elements were killed," he told Al-Mashareq.
"The operation came in response to the earlier al-Qaeda attack on the Belt Forces which targeted several soldiers after they left their camp," he said.
"Al-Qaeda attacks the Security Belt Forces because they carry out successive operations to crack down on its leaders and elements in Abyan," al-Rabei said.
The forces have already cleared "most of Abyan's districts" of al-Qaeda, he said, noting that the recent attack and retaliation may spark further battles with the extremists.
