Al-Qaeda members have settled in Yemen’s Al Bayda’s province which is presently under the control of Houthi rebels, Yemeni Interior Minister Hidan said.

Al-Qaeda members have settled in Yemen’s Al Bayda’s province which is presently under the control of Houthi rebels. Yemeni Interior Minister Ibrahim Ali Hidan told Sputnik said, “Extremist elements exist in Yemen, but their main stronghold is now in the province of Al Bayda and it is under the control of the Houthis, which is why we say that they support terrorism.”

Hidan also said that Houthis fight the Yemeni military but did not take any measures in tackling al-Qaeda. He told the Russian news agency, “When al-Qaeda fighters left a base in Al-Mukalla, the capital of the coastal Hadhramaut province in 2017, in a long convoy of cars with weapons, no one bombed the convoy and they were allowed to leave in peace. They are now in a place called Yakla. This is well known, and even American intelligence has prepared a full report on this matter.”

Yemen has been affected severely due to civil war since late 2014 when Houthi forces seized control of Sanaa in a mass uprising including the fight against the forces which were loyal to the government of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. Saudi Arabia-led coalition entered the conflict in 2015 at the request of Hadi and carried out air strikes against Houthis.

Al-Qaeda, ISIS planning ‘9/11 style attack’

Ali’s remarks on al-Qaeda settling in Yemen came after Afghan Commando Sarfaraz, who had joined the Panjshir resistance after the Taliban’s conquest of Kabul has warned that Al Qaeda and the Islamic State are planning a “9/11 style terrorist attack.” While taking to Twitter, the Afghan commando said that sources close to the resistant forces have informed that two terrorist organisations will be carrying out attacks on American and European soil, “particularly France within six to 12 months.” In the same social media post, Sarfaraz said that Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and the Pakistan-based Ahrar-ul-Hind are planning attacks in India.

Sarfaraz said, “In August when I posted about another 9/11, many people thought it was due to frustration. It was not. Our sources have information that AlQaeda+ISIS are planning 9/11 style attacks on US+EU, particularly France in 6 to 12 months. Lashkar Janghawi and Ahrarulhind is planning for India.”