ADEN: Yemeni troops advanced yesterday toward the city of Jaar, a bastion of Al-Qaeda in the south of the country where five militants were also killed in clashes with tribesmen, local and military sources said.
“Armed forces have made notable advance west of Jaar” and are near a ammunition depot controlled by Al-Qaeda in the vicinity of the city, the military source said.
The advance comes a day after troops took control of the city of Loder in the Abyan province.
Yemeni forces launched an offensive last Saturday to capture Al-Qaeda controlled areas in the province of Abyan. Apart from controlling Loder and Jaar, the group controls Zinjibar, capital of the province, and also Shaqra, located on the Gulf of Aden.
Meanwhile, five members of the group were killed in clashes with armed men of a tribe who wanted to prevent them from passing through their village, northwest of Jaar, a local official said.
Since the offensive began last Saturday, 169 people have been killed, according to a tally compiled by AFP, including 116 Al-Qaeda fighters, 23 military personnel and 17 civilians.
According to Western diplomats in Sanaa, US experts advise the Yemeni Army in their battles, but Washington does not recognize this participation, or the drone attacks against Al-Qaeda, although it is only they who have such devices in the region.
Air strikes on Al-Qaeda targets have increased since the launch Saturday of the offensive against the extremist group and after newly elected President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi vowed to fight the network.
A force of around 20,000 soldiers from all regions in the south are believed to be engaged in the operation.
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Yemen Army gains in fight against Al-qaeda
Yemen Army gains in fight against Al-qaeda
Hezbollah rejects government’s four-month disarmament timeline
- Hezbollah says the disarmament effort is a misstep while Israel continues to target Lebanon
- Lebanese cabinet granted army four months to restrict weapons in areas north of the Litani River up to the Awali River in Sidon
Armed group Hezbollah rejected on Tuesday the Lebanese government’s decision to grant the army at least four months to advance the second phase of a nationwide disarmament plan, saying it would not accept what it sees as a move serving Israel.
Lebanon’s cabinet tasked the army in August 2025 with drawing up and beginning to implement a plan to bring all armed groups’ weapons under state control, a bid aimed primarily at disarming Hezbollah after its devastating war with Israel in 2024.
In September 2025 the cabinet formally welcomed the army’s plan to disarm the Iran-backed Shiite militia, although it did not set a clear timeframe and cautioned that the military’s limited capabilities and ongoing Israeli strikes could hinder progress.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem said in a speech on Monday that “what the Lebanese government is doing by focusing on disarmament is a major mistake because this issue serves the goals of Israeli aggression.”
Lebanon’s Information Minister Paul Morcos said during a press conference late on Monday after a cabinet meeting that the government had taken note of the army’s monthly report on its arms control plan that includes restricting weapons in areas north of the Litani River up to the Awali River in Sidon, and granted it four months.
“The required time frame is four months, renewable depending on available capabilities, Israeli attacks and field obstacles,” he said.
Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said, “we cannot be lenient,” signalling the group’s rejection of the timeline and the broader approach to the issue of its weapons.
Hezbollah has rejected the disarmament effort as a misstep while Israel continues to target Lebanon, and Shiite ministers walked out of the cabinet session in protest.
Israel has said Hezbollah’s disarmament is a security priority, arguing that the group’s weapons outside Lebanese state control pose a direct threat to its security.
Israeli officials say any disarmament plan must be fully and effectively implemented, especially in areas close to the border, and that continued Hezbollah military activity constitutes a violation of relevant international resolutions.
Israel has also said it will continue what it describes as action to prevent the entrenchment or arming of hostile actors in Lebanon until cross-border threats are eliminated.
Lebanon’s cabinet tasked the army in August 2025 with drawing up and beginning to implement a plan to bring all armed groups’ weapons under state control, a bid aimed primarily at disarming Hezbollah after its devastating war with Israel in 2024.
In September 2025 the cabinet formally welcomed the army’s plan to disarm the Iran-backed Shiite militia, although it did not set a clear timeframe and cautioned that the military’s limited capabilities and ongoing Israeli strikes could hinder progress.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem said in a speech on Monday that “what the Lebanese government is doing by focusing on disarmament is a major mistake because this issue serves the goals of Israeli aggression.”
Lebanon’s Information Minister Paul Morcos said during a press conference late on Monday after a cabinet meeting that the government had taken note of the army’s monthly report on its arms control plan that includes restricting weapons in areas north of the Litani River up to the Awali River in Sidon, and granted it four months.
“The required time frame is four months, renewable depending on available capabilities, Israeli attacks and field obstacles,” he said.
Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said, “we cannot be lenient,” signalling the group’s rejection of the timeline and the broader approach to the issue of its weapons.
Hezbollah has rejected the disarmament effort as a misstep while Israel continues to target Lebanon, and Shiite ministers walked out of the cabinet session in protest.
Israel has said Hezbollah’s disarmament is a security priority, arguing that the group’s weapons outside Lebanese state control pose a direct threat to its security.
Israeli officials say any disarmament plan must be fully and effectively implemented, especially in areas close to the border, and that continued Hezbollah military activity constitutes a violation of relevant international resolutions.
Israel has also said it will continue what it describes as action to prevent the entrenchment or arming of hostile actors in Lebanon until cross-border threats are eliminated.
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