[06/October/2011]
ABYAN, Oct. 06 (Saba)- Major General Mohammad al-Sawmali, commander of the 25th Mechanical Division, has expected that the battle with what is left of al-Qaeda elements at Zinjibar city in Abyan province, will be settled in a matter of days.

In a statement he gave exclusively to Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Siyasah, al-Sawmali reported that brigades within the 25th Mechanical Division, assisted by some brigades from three other army divisions along with Special Forces and Counter-Terrorism groups, were able to clean up a number of areas within Zinjibar, such as the al-Tari region, the coastline, the Hassan Stadium area and Martyrs' Square and its surroundings, in addition to the Bajdar region and large parts of the al-Kawd region.

Al-Sawmali went on to confirm the killing of more than 600 al-Qaeda elements during the confrontations with them by forces from the 25th Mechanical Division since late last May, including dozens of the organization's leaders and a number of foreigners of various nationalities, whether Saudis, Pakistanis, Egyptians or Somalis.

Al-Sawmali also pointed out that more than 80 of the aforementioned division's officers and personnel were killed and 600 others were injured during the confrontations with al-Qaeda elements, whereas most of the leaders of this terrorist organization's branch in Marib province were killed in the Abyan clashes.

Al-Sawmali added that the al-Qaeda elements employed every single fighting and terror technique, including suicide attacks using cars and motorcycles rigged with explosives, as well as explosive belts worn around the waist.

Regarding the collaboration with the American side in fighting al-Qaeda elements in Abyan, al-Sawmali stated that the collaboration was still ongoing, but is however restricted to the exchange of data, and that the American side ‘’provided us once with food supplies’’.


Saba