24 Slain in al-Qaeda Suicide Attack on Yemeni Army Base
Militants Disguised in Army Uniforms Hit Abyan Base
Continuing over a year of fighting over the Abyan Province, four al-Qaeda militants dressed in army uniforms launched a suicide car bombing against a Yemeni military base in the town of Shuqra, killing 24 people.
A Yemeni soldier present at the site said the attackers’ vehicle had military license plates, and there was nothing suspicious about them when they entered the compound. The early morning attack caught most of the base security sleeping.
Once on base, three of the four attackers jumped out of the pickup truck and started shooting the sleeping guards. When the gunfire attracted a crowd of soldiers, the other detonated the truckload of explosives, killing and wounding a large number of soldiers.
The attack shows that despite official claims of having conclusively defeated the militant factions in Abyan they are still active and more than capable of inflicting massive casualties on the Yemeni military.
Last 5 posts by Jason Ditz
- US Slams Russia's Missile Sales to Syria - May 17th, 2013
- Nine Killed, 70 Wounded in Bombings Near Kandahar - May 17th, 2013
- Envoy: Russia May Deploy Troops to Tajik-Afghan Border - May 17th, 2013
- Pentagon in Afghan Budget Crisis, Seeks to Shift $10 Billion in Funds - May 17th, 2013
- Nigeria Launching Massive Offensive Against Boko Haram - May 17th, 2013
davidgrayling
October 21st, 2012 at 2:45 pm
It just goes to show that a small group of fighters, suitably disguised and properly organized, can inflict heavy casualties on an army base.
This is the way to defeat so-called military SuperPowers when they turn rogue!