AHMED AL-HAJ
Associated Press

SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi says his country is an “open war” with al-Qaida as one of the country’s largest offensive against the terror group in south has been pushing militants out of their strongholds.

Hadi made the remarks in a statement aired on state television Thursday. He said that the military will expand its operations to include areas other than Shabwa and Abyan, the southern provinces which witnessed a strong al-Qaida presence before the offensive, to include others like Baida and Marib

Yemen’s military continues to battle militants taking shelter inside schools and government buildings in the one-time al-Qaida stronghold of Azzan in Shabwa. The battles came after a day of fierce clashes in the same town forced families to flee.

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