Abyan (South24)

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On Tuesday, the Southern forces destroyed AQAP hideouts in “Wadi Matar” area, in Mudiyah district of Abyan Governorate, during a military campaign that lasted for hours, according to what was released by Abyan Security Administration.

The Southern forces said that they destroyed 12 AQAP tents during the attack, and dismantled more than 25 explosive devices that were prepared for detonation. According to the statement, AQAP members fled towards nearby mountain ranges.

#BREAKING

Scenes during the Southern forces' control of an AQAP military camp in Wadi Matar in the Mudiya district of Abyan Governorate #south24 pic.twitter.com/YiEyBVt2u0

— South24 | English (@South24E) February 8, 2024

The Southern forces lost a war journalist who was covering the advance following the explosion of an explosive device. Abyan Security Administration released a video showing part of the campaign and the process of controlling the place.

According to the security statement, the AQAP military camp in Wadi Matar included many dangerous terrorists and senior officials in the organization.

In a statement on Al-Malahim platform, AQAP admitted that it faced a military campaign from the Southern forces. But AQAP's statement denied losing any camp or fighters during the campaign, and claimed responsibility for detonating the explosive device in the war journalist.

For a year and a half, the Southern forces have been carrying out continuous campaigns to eradicate the presence of AQAP in the central districts of Abyan Governorate, which shares geographical borders with the Houthi-controlled Al-Bayda Governorate. 

Without any air support or backup, the Southern forces were able to expel AQAP from its main strongholds in Mudiyah, Al-Mahfad, Lauder and other districts of Abyan Governorate, which prompted the organization’s members to take haven in the valleys and mountains on the outskirts of the governorate.

The organization's attacks with explosive devices and direct clashes caused the death and injury of dozens of Southern soldiers in Abyan, as well as in the Al-Musaina area in Shabwa Governorate.