The city of Ataq, Shabwa Governorate, witnessed, on Sunday morning, violent armed clashes between joint security forces and an armed group believed to belong to al -Qaeda, killing a person whose identity has not yet been known.

Local sources reported that a force of anti -terrorism of the Abyan Governorate, backed by a military unit of Shabwa defense forces, carried out a security operation targeting a residential building in a city neighborhood, based on information indicating its use as a “den” of elements of the extremist organization.

The sources stated that the security operation turned into armed confrontations after the suspects resisted the security force, as the two parties exchanged fire extensively using machine guns, which sparked a state of panic and fear among the residents of the region.

The same sources confirmed the death during the clashes, whose identity was not identified immediately. The security forces still impose a tight security cordon on the vicinity of the targeted building, and are conducting wide combing operations and investigations to uncover the circumstances of the accident.

The security authorities in Shabwa have not yet issued any official statement to clarify the details of the operation or the nature of the targets that were targeted. The city prevails in a state of tension and caution in the wake of these events.

This security move comes in light of the escalation of the activity and threats of al -Qaeda in some areas of southern Yemen, where the security services are constantly seeking to pursue extremist elements and dismantle their cells to maintain security and stability.