Dhale (South24)

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At least two prominent counter-terrorism and Security Belt commanders were killed in Dhale province in South Yemen on Friday evening in armed clashes with elements believed to be affiliated with the Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), according to a security source.

Eight militants believed to be affiliated with the AQAP were also shot dead by Security Belt forces during clashes at the Security Belt headquarters in Dhale, north of Aden, according to local media and activists.

A source told “South24” that "elements believed to be affiliated with the AQAP infiltrated on Friday evening from the border governorate of al-Bayda with the A Shu'ayb District, and were arrested in the city of Al-Awabel before a military force arrived and took them to al- Dhale and without verifying their identities." 

"Upon their arrival at the Security Belt headquarters in the city, the armed elements began firing at the security forces headquarters, resulting in deaths and injuries."  The source added.

A picture of the vehicle in which the gunmen were traveling (Khaled al-Sinami)

Aden security official Khaled al-Sinami said that the Deputy Commander of Security Belt forces in Dhale, Walid al-Dami, as well as Colonel Mohamed al-Shubji, the Commander of the Southern Counter-terrorism Forces in Dhale were killed in the attack. Al-Sanami also talked about injuries during the clashes.

Witnesses told “South24” in Dhale that the armed clashes lasted about an hour.

The northern border areas with the Ash Shu'ayb District of Dhale are under Houthi control. Al-Qaida elements are deployed in areas such as Juban District, and El-Bayda that are geographically under the governorate of Al-Bayda.

The Southern Forces mourned in a statement the killing of the two commanders. "The security forces managed to kill all the "terrorist" attackers" The statement said.

At the time of writing, the AQAP hasn’t yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

This is the first such qualitative operation carried out by suspected members of AQAP against prominent southern security commanders in Dhale province.

This came weeks after al-Qaeda members escaped from a prison in the First Military District in Wadi Hadramaut.

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- South24 Center

- Photo: Colonel Mohamed al-Shubji, the Commander of the Southern Counter-terrorism Forces in Dhale (Official)