French-made Leclerc tanks of the Saudi-led coalition are deployed on the outskirts of the southern Yemeni port city of Aden on August 3, 2015, during a military operation against Shiite Huthi rebels and their allies. © Saleh Al-Obeidi / AFP
The Saudi-backed forces claim to have killed more than 800 Al-Qaeda fighters in a military operation against the terror group in Yemen. Pro-Saudi sources also argue that the coalition seized the “strategic coastal city” of Mukalla.
This operation is part of a wdie campaign targeting jihadists, who exploited the 13-month war between the Houthi alliance and forces loyal to Saudi-backed President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.
Initially, Saudi Arabia suppoted Hadi to help him in seizing back power in Yemen, but after the recent US statements about the links wtih Al-Qaeda the Saudi-led coalition turned its attention to the “rising jihadist threat” in Yemen.
“The operation resulted… in the deaths of more than 800 Al-Qaeda members and some of their leaders, while some others fled,” said the Arab Coalition command in a statement cited by the Saudi news agency SPA.
Scuh results and the death toll can’t be verified independently. Also, there is no reports of civilian casualties provided by Saudi Arabia.
More about the expansion of Al Qaeda in Yemen:
You lose track after a while as to who is killing who and which side they are currently on. Also you don’t know if the reports are made up.
Indeed, we believe that the post depicts clearly the version of pro-Saudi sources and the reality on the ground.