Local Editor

Al-Qaeda militants took control of a western district of Yemen’s main port city of Aden on Saturday night, raising the extremist organization’s black flag over the port, residents said.

"Dozens of Al-Qaeda militants were patrolling the streets with their weapons in total freedom in a number of areas in Tawahi", a resident said. 

"At the same time, others raised the Al-Qaeda black flag above government buildings, including the administrative building of the port," the resident added. 

Forces loyal to Yemen’s exiled government in Saudi Arabia retook the city recently last month [July], with heavy backing from the kingdom and other Gulf Arab countries.

Ansarullah revolutionary fighters, who played a major role in ousting Yemen’s former dictator, Ali Abdullah Saleh, have driven al-Qaeda militants out of many areas in the country. Also, the popular committees loyal to the Houthi Ansarullah fighters have been battling Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula [AQAP]. 

This is also while an ongoing military aggression by Saudi Arabia against Yemen continues to bomb civilians and infrastructure while they also airdrop arms and ammunition to militants.

A Saudi-led coalition backed by the United States has been carrying out a military aggression on Yemen by launching airstrikes against the country since March 26. The airstrikes have not been authorized by the United Nations [UN].

The ’civilian’ death toll in Yemen has risen to at least 1,916, with another 4,186 civilians wounded since the escalation of the conflict in March, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights [OHCHR] reported recently this month.