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On January 6, two bombing targeted Saudi-backed forces near the town of Wadi Umran in the southern Yemeni province of Abyan.
Local sources in Yemen told the Al Ain News that a water tanker and a patrol of local forces affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council were targeted with improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at the entrance of Wadi Umran.
According to the Emirati news outlet, seven fighters were killed and at least right others were wounded as a result of the bombings.
The attack was blamed on al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. The terrorist group is also said to be behind an IED attack that targeted tribal leaders Saleh al-Majali and Samir al-Haid in the town of al-Qlitah in Abyan on January 3. However, the group is yet to official claim responsibility.
Al-Qaeda maintains a strong influence in southern Yemen, despite the large presence of Saudi and Emirati forces in the region.
The group’s cells intensified their operations in the last few months in an attempt to revive their insurgency. Saudi-backed forces responded with a series of counter-terrorism operations. However, the security situation in southern region is still poor as evident by the recent attacks in Abyan.
