Yemen: attacks against Hatat mountains halted

The extent of the Yemeni forces's attack against the positions of Islamists hidden in Hatat mountains in Abyan province was decreased in the second day of the fighting which witnessed bloody starts.

While eye- witnesses said that the sound of fighting calmed down with the fall of the night, a high ranking military source in Sanaa announced yesterday "that the attack was stopped.. and the police forces continue chasing the wanted," adding that a large scale inspection campaign is currently made in various parts of the mountainous area to arrest other wanted persons."

Units of the riot fighting police, backed by helicopters launched a large scale mopping up operations. Press accompanying the government forces said that artillery units and Katyusha shelling caused the area to be evacuated.

Journalists said that it was found in the headquarters of the Islamists in the mountains where a house with a mosque was built, tapes including pictures for Osama Bin Laden and a drivers lisence issued in Saudi Arabia.

The Yemeni police, however, said that 6 "damaging elements" were killed and five Yemeni soldiers were wounded in the military operations while one Yemeni colonel, the field commander of the attack, was killed in the attacks on the positions of the Islamists whose number is estimated at 70. Some 11 were arrested. This number is different from that announced by the Yemeni authorities which said that scores were wounded or killed.