SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Al-Qaida militants have seized control of key areas in and around Yemen's port city of Aden, high-ranking security officials said Saturday, a major gain for the group which has been making inroads amid the chaos of the country's civil war.
The move, part of a weekslong expansion in Aden in the wake of major fighting there between Shiite rebels known as Houthis and pro-government forces backed by Saudi Arabia, shows how the organization still holds formidable clout despite its relatively low-profile role in the country's raging civil war.
Fighters took Tawahi district, home to a presidential palace and Aden's main port, and were patrolling the streets, some carrying black banners, the officials said. The militants also took parts of Crater, Aden's commercial center, and parts of Dar Saad town, just north of Aden, including an army base that their fighters turned into a training camp, they added.
Security officials near the seized base, in Dar Saad's al-Lohoum district, said it is now training some 200 militants. The officials, who hail from the military, security forces and police, all spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak to journalists.
Yemeni government spokesman Rajeh Badi, now based in Saudi Arabia, did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
Original Article: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20150822/ml--yemen-e611ea9ee3.html
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