Yemen: Airstrikes Kill 31 Civilians In Jaar, Region Still Under Al Qaeda Control
At least 31 civilians were killed in airforce air strikes against a mosque in the city of Jaar, reports MISNA.
According to MISNA, citing the English language Yemen Post, the city is still under the control of an armed group called “Ansar al Shariah”, which according to the government is linked to al-Qaeda and has progressively extended its control in the southern Abyan province.
Sources cited by the paper indicated that the strikes, which actually missed the real target that was a rebel base, also left dozens injured, according to MISNA.
The attacks come after the government lost control of Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan, and then attempted to regain the lost ground with the airforce, although the rebels continued to advance and are even threatening the nearby governorates of Marib and Shabwa, reports MISNA.
The advance of the rebels is favoured by the wide insecurity and political crisis affecting the government of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who last June escaped an attack and has seen been in Saudi Arabia.
The Gulf Cooperation Council has proposed various plans to end the crisis. The latest proposal foresees the immunity of Saleh, his family and collaborators, but was rejected by the opposition Yemeni national council, MISNA noted.
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