OSINT SUMMARY
Yemeni official says that their forces battled and captured Al Qaeda’s last stronghold along Yemen’s southern coast.
The battle against the Al Qaeda militants has been on for two days forcing the militant’s group from major cities including Mukalla, the provincial capital of Hadramout province.
Army commanders and residents reports indicate that pro-government forces entered the Ghayl Bawazer, located some 800kilometers from the capital Sanaa, but were fearful of ambushes and reprisal attacks by the armed group.
On Saturday, Yemeni forces backed by the coalition forces launched military assaults against Al Qaeda rich province, almost a year after the militant group established foothold plunging in on nation-wide chaos and gained control of the coastal region.
In Al Eoun, Yemeni forces stormed Al Qaeda positions in numbers, fought for more than six hours. In the Al Eoun battle more than 150 Al Qaeda militants were killed.
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), took advantage of the disorder in Yemen following the collapse of the central government last year (2015).
