SANA'A: Ansar al-Sharia, an offshoot of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, claimed on Sunday that its militants had managed to seize 20 tanks from the Yemen army in the southern town of Lawdar, in the province of Abyan. Violent clashes opposing the armed forces, backed by local tribal fighters and Islamic troops loyal to al-Qaeda, took place over the past month, claiming the lives of many soldiers. Despite assistance in the form of air strikes, drones and intel from the Pentagon, which is eager to halt Ansar al-Sharia's advance, Yemen could not manage a major breakthrough, leaving al-Qaeda entrenches within its territories. A member of Ansar al-Sharia boasted online that, “they could achieve nothing through their air strikes. We fully control Zinjibar, Waqar and Ja'ar while the army sustained huge losses.” Further, the Governor of Aden, Wahed Rashed, has warned the central government of a potential strike against his city. He said al-Qaeda militants are seeking a foothold in the south through Aden, an important sea-port that offers a strategic advantage. Security analysts often pointed out that with its opening onto Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and Asia, Aden represented a golden opportunity for al-Qaeda, potentially securing for the group a control of the Red Sea through an alliance with al-Shabaab, another offshoot of al-Qaeda operating in Somalia.
