Battle for Zinjibar kills 100 Yemen troops

Battles raged Tuesday between Yemen's army and suspected Al-Qaeda militants for control of the southern city of Zinjibar, a military official said, as the number of soldiers killed passed the 100 mark. "We are engaged in fierce battles with terrorist elements from Al-Qaeda, leading to heavy losses on their part during the past three days," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. At least 100 soldiers have been killed since the violence in Zinjibar erupted more than three weeks ago, and 260 have been wounded, according to the official, updating an earlier toll. Alleged Al-Qaeda militants, who have named themselves Ansar al-Sharia (Supporters of Islamic Sharia law), have been controlling most of Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan province, since late May. The official told AFP by telephone that government air raids had destroyed "selected targets" around Zinjibar which he said were being used by the militants to launch attacks. The official added that some troops had been pulled back in a "tactical move." "We were forced to withdraw our 119th and 201st Artillery Brigades around three kilometres (1.8 miles) in a tactical move, as part of a strategy which we hope will work," the official said. "We are facing heavy resistance from the network's militants as they are well-trained in gang fighting, and have foreign fighters within their ranks, including Arabs." Meanwhile, senior local official Ghassan Sheikh complained that the air strikes also destroyed homes, killing and wounding many civilians. Two civilians were killed and a third was wounded when a shell hit their bus during an air raid Tuesday that targetted a mosque in the town of Jaar, near Zinjibar, a medical official told AFP. Naser al-Mansuri, a senior official at the Jaar local council, confirmed the deaths, saying two shells hit the mosque, where suspected Al-Qaeda militants are allegedly hiding, and another fell outside the mosque. The attack resulted in casualties among the militants, said Mansuri. Another two civilians were killed in similar shelling at Zinjibar's entrance on Monday, according to Sheikh. Mahfuz Abdullah, a member of the city council, said Zinjibar is being controlled by gunmen. "Hundreds of masked armed men have taken over the city and nearby villages," he said. "We cannot leave our homes because of the fighting." Abdullah said the fighters have also suffered many losses, with numerous cars seen carrying bodies to a nearby cemetery. Officials say the militants are connected to Al-Qaeda, but opponents of the country's embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh accuse his government of exaggerating a jihadist threat to head off Western pressure on his 33-year rule. Yemen is the home of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, an affiliate of the slain Osama bin Laden's militant network. The group is accused of anti-US plots including an attempt to blow up a US-bound aircraft on Christmas Day 2009.