Yemeni troops backed by a coalition airstrike on Tuesday (November 8th) killed six suspected al-Qaeda fighters outside the Hadramaut provincial capital of al-Mukalla, AFP reported.
The southern port city was the most populous Yemeni city under al-Qaeda control until Yemeni and coalition forces recaptured it in April, ending a year of extremist rule .
But al-Qaeda regrouped in the surrounding mountains and has carried out a series of deadly revenge attacks from this location.
Yemeni forces with the support of coalition warplanes launched a pre-emptive operation against al-Qaeda early Tuesday in the village of Hamra west of al-Mukalla, a security official said.
Four suspected al-Qaeda fighters also were captured, the official said, adding that the group continues to pose a threat to al-Mukalla.
In the southern province of Shabwa late Monday, suspected al-Qaeda fighters executed a man they accused of sorcery in front of his family, another security official said.
They then dynamited the family's home, but the explosives went off prematurely and two of the extremists were killed.
