By Mohammed al-Kibsi
Al-Qaeda in The Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) based in Yemeni accused Yemen's government of killing seven civilians in air strikes last week, and threatened to avenge.
The Yemen ministry of defense has announced achieving victory on al-Qaeda militants in Zinjubar city the capital of Abyan province in south Yemen.
The group has stepped up attacks on government troops in Yemen's south, exploiting turmoil in a country convulsed by months of protests against President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
In a statement posted on websites late on Monday, AQAP said Yemen's military last week hit two mosques, a hospital and a market place in Abyan province, which lies close to a strategic shipping channel.
AQAP's account conflicted with an earlier army statement that said it had targeted militants in the airstrikes and killed 30 of them.
"Seven Muslim civilians were killed, a number more were wounded and several buildings were destroyed. The mujahideen (fighters) confirmed that none of them were hurt because they were not present in these areas," the AQAP statement said.
"The mujahideen stress that they will not leave these crimes unpunished," it added.
CIA Director David Petraeus said on Tuesday the Yemen-based (AQAP) had emerged as the "most dangerous" affiliate of the militant network a decade after the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.
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