Leaderships of al-Qaeda moved from Zinjubar to Shabwa province in south Yemen

By Mohammed al-Kibsi

Local sources in Shabwa province in the south East of Yemen said that the leaderships of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula were seen in Shabwa after they had been defeated in Abyan province. Also the governor of Lahj province in the south of Yemen said that some of al-Qaeda fighters that were wounded in Abyanhave been treated in some hospitals in Lahj province.

The sources said they saw Saeed Al Shihri,  Fahd Al Qusu and Qasem Al Raimi  along with tens of their companions including Saudis Egyptians And Somalis.

Many of those injured in the last battles in Zinjubar and Ja’ar were also seen in one car at least heading to Azzan town close to Al Huta, the stronghold of AQAP leadership, the sources added.

The top leaders Nasser Al Wahayshi and Anwar Al Awlaki were not seen with the group on Monday the sources said.

After the government troops defeated Al Qaeda groups in Zinjubar and Ja’ar, leaders and remnants of operatives escaped to their respective hideouts in other areas in the same province of Abyan like Hatat, and to other neighboring provinces like Shabwa, Hudhrmout, Mareb and Al Jawf.