Yemen Al Qaeda group denies that airstrikes killed its leader
A Yemen-based militant group, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), on Monday denied that airstrikes ordered by the Yemeni government last week had killed its chief Qassim al-Raimi, along with five other top militants.
A Yemen-based militant group, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), on Monday denied that airstrikes ordered by the Yemeni government last week had killed its chief Qassim al-Raimi, along with five other top militants.
Last week, the Yemeni government had declared open war on the militant group and announced on Friday the death of the militants in airstrikes. If those strikes did fail to hit their targets, it could weaken Yemen's stance that it can tackle the militant threat posed by Al Qaeda without any foreign intervention. In response, Yemen鈥檚 interior ministry has promised more airstrikes against Al Qaeda militants in the country.
Meanwhile, on Monday, security forces in Yemen also reported the capture of AQAP second-in-command, Saeed al-Shehri.
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According to Al Jazeera, AQAP 听that its chief had been killed.
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AQAP did, however, concede that 听as a result of Friday鈥檚 raid on hideouts near Yemen鈥檚 border with Saudi Arabia, reports The Washington Post.
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In response to AQAP鈥檚 statement, Muttahar al-Masri, Yemen's interior minister, 听on Al Qaeda in an interview with the state-owned 鈥淪eptember 26鈥� newspaper, reports Reuters.
According to Agence France-Presse, Yemen is intent on clearing AQAP from its territory .
According to the Yemen Observer, AQAP鈥檚 听in the district of Sylan in Shabwah near the borders of Marib province.
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Shehri鈥檚 capture is an important development in Yemen鈥檚 latest crackdown against AQAP militants. On Sunday, Yemen鈥檚 chief of central security warned the country鈥檚 tribes of 听鈥� without specifying what those might be 鈥� if they harbored Al Qaeda militants, reports Agence France-Presse.
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However, 海角大神 reported that the Yemeni government is ill-equipped to take on AQAP militants.
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The Monitor adds that the Yemeni government has insisted that it does not need US military intervention in its fight against AQAP, pointing to recent ground and airstrikes as 鈥�proof that it is winning the battle.鈥�
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Writing in Yale Global Online, former CIA official Bruce Riedel argues that the Yemeni government .