A security source told the ministry's website that Hassan Basonbol, who goes by the name of Abu Issa, a leader of suspected Al-Qaeda militants in Abyan province, has been killed by the army along with many other militants. The ministry added that army and tribesmen managed to drive out suspected Al-Qaeda fighters from the town of Shaqra, 60 km southeast of Zinjibar.
A local source from the area told Arab News that the Yemeni armed forces raided the Zinjibar city using troops, jets and artillery.
"The army managed to break the block around the besieged 25th Brigade and entered the city but had to withdraw later fearing suicide attacks by the militants."
The army is battling the militants in two cities Jia'ar and Zinjbar where the militants known as Ansar Al-Shariah, or Supporters of Shariah (Islamic law) took control of the cities in May.
Also on Tuesday, Yemen received from Saudi Arabia the fourth shipment of the 3 million barrels of crude given by Riyadh, at the Aden seaport. The fifth shipment of the gift, which would also consist of 500,000 barrels, could dock in the Yemeni seaport on July 24 and the last one is scheduled to arrive in August, Saba News Agency reported.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates has donated 3 million barrels of crude to Yemen to alleviate the country’s shortages, Deputy Information Minister Abdo Al-Janadi has said.
Also, the director of the Yemen National Security, Ali Mohammed Al-Ansi, said that the perpetrators of the June 3 attack on the presidential compound would be prosecuted pending the result of the investigation.
Thousands of protesters went to the streets of Sanaa and Taiz to denounce government's crackdown on the protesters that left four protesters dead on Monday.
