The Yemeni military today prevented a terrorist suicide attack, and possibly a suicide assault, on an airbase in Lahj province that houses US military trainers as well as unmanned US strike aircraft, or drones. From the Yemen Post:
The Yemeni army thwarted on Saturday a suicide attempt against al-Anad air force located in South Yemen in which US soldiers are existed.
Military sources said that a bomb car managed to infiltrate into al-Qaeda in Lahj governorate with the aim of carrying out an suicide bombing, pointing out that it planned to target US soldiers who train Yemeni troops on counterterrorism.
“The car was seized while it was hidden under trees and it was ready to be exploded” they added. “The bombs were defused and the investigation on the care are ongoing.”
Reuters reported that two men were detained, and that “anti-tank missiles” were contained within the car.
Al Anad has long been known to host the Reapers that are used to hunt al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leaders and fighters in Yemen [see these reports at USA Today and Asharq Alawsat].
Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and allied groups have made airbases in Afghanistan and Pakistan a prime target, and the terror groups have had some success with these raids over the past several years. The last such attack, on Sept. 14 at Camp Bastion in Helmand province, Afghanistan, resulted in the destruction of six USMC Harriers and the death of the squadron commander and a sergeant.
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1 Comment
I do wish reporters could learn to tell the difference between rockets (RPGs) and missiles.