Yemen’s military on Tuesday ramped up its offensive against Al-Qaeda in the country’s restive south, launching ground and air assaults that reportedly killed at least 53 people, including 12 civilians. The town of Jaar in Abyan province was pounded by air strikes which killed 13 extremists and the 12 civilians, while battles raged in Loder, another Abyan town the jihadists have been wrestling to control, leaving another 12 Al-Qaeda fighters dead, according to witnesses and tribal leaders. Eight militiamen fighting against Al-Qaeda as well as eight soldiers also died in Loder, militia and military officials said. Troops on Saturday launched a multi-pronged assault aimed at recapturing Qaeda-held towns and cities across Abyan, including the regional capital Zinjibar. On Tuesday, the military called in air strikes against targets in Jaar, five days after dropping leaflets warning civilians to stay clear of Al-Qaeda hideouts. A first strike killed two Al-Qaeda suspects while the 12 civilians, part of a group who had gathered around the residence right after the attack, died in a second raid soon after, witnesses said. “Eight bodies were pulled out of the rubble,” one witness said.
