U.S. Applauds Yemeni Military Operations Against Al-Qaeda

The U.S. praised the Yemeni government for military victories against al-Qaeda fighters in southern Yemen, a State Department spokeswoman said.

The operations allowed the government to retake control of “important areas,” including the cities Ja’ar and Zinjibar, Victoria Nuland said today in a statement. The success came weeks after pushing extremists out of Lawdar, she said.

Al-Qaeda’s presence in the region “has had a devastating impact on the citizens there and prevented the delivery of critical humanitarian assistance,” Nuland said. The U.S. remains committed to working with President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, she said.

President Barack Obama sent a report yesterday to Congress confirming that the U.S. is conducting military operations against al-Qaeda in Yemen in conjunction with the Yemeni government.

To contact the reporter on this story: Brendan McGarry in Washington at bmcgarry2@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Steven Komarow at skomarow1@bloomberg.net