Arab Coalition Claims Over 800 Al-Qaeda Militants Killed In Yemen

Saudi-led Arab Coalition reported that it wiped out over 800 militants of the al-Qaeda terror group in an operation.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Over 800 militants of the al-Qaeda terror group were wiped out in an operation by the Saudi-led Arab Coalition in Yemen, the coalition’s command said in a statement on Monday.

"The coalition command said in a statement today that the operation resulted in its first hours in the killing of more than 800 elements of Al-Qaeda and a number of their leaders and that the rest of them fled," the state-run Saudi SPA news agency said.

The pre-dawn joint operation was mounted by Saudi and United Arab Emirates’ special forces in cooperation with Yemeni troops loyal to President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi.

According to the statement cited by SPA, the operation is part of the coalition’s effort to "support the Yemeni legitimate government to extend its influence and control over the Yemeni cities that fell under the control of Al-Qaeda," notably over al-Qaeda’s stronghold of al-Mukalla, a southern sea port.

The Arab Coalition has been carrying out airstrikes against militants opposing President Hadi since March 2015. They have been targeting both al-Qaeda forces and positions of Shiite Houthi rebels, the country’s main opposition force.