A Saudi-led coalition carried out air strikes on the al Qaeda-held port of Mukalla in southern Yemen on Sunday, killing at least ten militants, medical sources and residents said, part of an offensive to recapture the city.
Mukalla, a shipping hub and provincial capital, is a stronghold of the powerful al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) which has taken advantage of Yemen’s year-long civil war to win control over parts of the south and east.
Residents said air strikes hit a building that AQAP was using as its headquarters, as well as gatherings of the group elsewhere in Mukalla. A Yemeni military source said the air strikes were being coordinated with troops on the ground.
In recent days, residents and local officials have reported preparations for a pro-government ground offensive on Mukalla. It comes as Yemen’s government meets with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Kuwait to try to find a solution to a conflict which has killed more than 6,200 people and divided up control of the country.
