Shabwa elite forces push to secure 2 districts

Shabwa elite forces on Tuesday (March 26th) kicked off "Operation White Mountains" to secure the province's Merkhah As-Sufla and Nisab districts.

The operation follows up on earlier efforts to clear the same areas, Shabwa elite forces commander Lt. Col. Mohammed al-Buhr told Al-Mashareq.

The UAE-backed forces deployed additional troops to areas where they have established a presence and set up security checkpoints at the entrances and exits of Merkhah As-Sufla and Nisab districts.

"The new deployment complements the earlier operations which the Shabwa elite forces carried out on March 20th to clear some areas of Merkhah As-Sufla and Nisab," al-Buhr said.

"Our forces are setting up security and military checkpoints at the entrances and exits of cities and valleys to crack down on al-Qaeda elements, if any, and to ensure they do not use those areas as transit points," he added.

"Tribes in those areas are welcoming and supporting our forces because they only care about the security of their areas and about ensuring they have no terrorist elements," he said.

In a briefing to local media, Operation White Mountains commander Lt. Col. Wajdi Baum said the operation aims to secure Nisab and Merkhah As-Sufla.

It seeks to clear all the sites and roads extremists have been using as camps and routes "for carrying out their criminal operations" and establish the rule of law in the two districts, he said.

"Forces from different branches and units of the Shabwa elite forces are taking part in the operation," he added, stressing the need to combat extremist groups and ideology so "Shabwa may enjoy security and stability".

Shabwa elite forces started deploying to parts of Merkhah As-Sufla in late 2018.