U.S. Navy file photo shows USS Mahan, which earlier this year was involved in multiple altercations off the Yemen coast. U.S. Navy Photo
ADEN, Feb 2 (Reuters) – Warships shelled suspected al Qaeda strongholds in a mountainous region of southern Yemen on Thursday, government officials said.
The officials, wh asked not to be named, said they believed U.S. forces carried out the operation, though Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis quickly denied any U.S. involvement.
The strikes come less than a week after a covert U.S. Navy SEAL raid, also in Yemen’s south, the first ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump as commander in chief.
The naval attacks appear to be part of an intensifying campaign against one of the most active branches of the Islamist militant network.
“Ships fired several missiles towards the al-Maraqisha mountains, where al Qaeda elements are based. The ships are widely believed to be Americans,” said one official, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.
“We have received no information on the outcome of the shelling.”
The United States regularly uses drones to hunt suspected al Qaeda militants in Yemen’s barren hinterlands.
The al-Maraqisha mountains are a key al Qaeda stronghold in southern Yemen. Militants took refuge there last year after Yemeni government forces, backed by Arab coalition aircraft, drove them from the cities of Zinjibar and Jaar.
The militants have exploited a civil war between Iran-aligned Houthi rebels and forces loyal to the internationally-recognized President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to regroup in the impoverished country, which shares a border with Saudi Arabia.
Hadi’s forces have made gains against the Houthi rebels in past months, advancing north into al-Mokha and Dhubab last week in a bid to deprive the Houthis of strategic Red Sea ports.
In a separate incident, six soldiers loyal to Hadi were killed when a bomb, apparently planted by al Qaeda militants, exploded near the city of Lawdar in the Abyan province. (Reporting by Mohammed Mukhashaf in Aden, Mohammed Ghobari in Cairo and Idrees Ali in Washington; Writing by Sami Aboudi; editing by Richard Lough and Andrew Heavens)
(Bloomberg) — Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion has entered a new phase, pitting homegrown drone technology against a 2,000 kilometer (1,200 mile) swathe of largely Soviet-era oil facilities. At least...
March 19 (Reuters) – Tanker company Euronav will exit Belgium’s blue-chip Bel-20 index after just two days of trading, as it no longer meets the membership conditions after its takeover by Compagnie Maritime...
MOSCOW, March 19 (Reuters) – The new head of Russia’s Navy was formally presented in his new role for the first time on Tuesday at a pomp-filled ceremony, the state RIA news agency reported,...
March 19, 2024
Total Views: 2483
Why Join the gCaptain Club?
Access exclusive insights, engage in vibrant discussions, and gain perspectives from our CEO.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.