SANAA, Yemen, March 8 (UPI) -- Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula has claimed responsibility for attacks on Yemeni security forces that killed more than 185 troops and injured more than 135.
The group's claim came in a statement describing the attacks, CNN reported.
"The mujahedeen held a series of 'the cutting-of-the-tail' military operations on the forces of Sanaa's government on the outskirts of the city of Zunjubar in Abyan state," the statement said.
Two security officials told CNN 187 Yemeni troops were killed and 135 injured in the attacks in Abyan, which began Saturday.
The group also said it had seized a large cache of weapons, including heavy artillery and tanks.
The Yemen Military Committee, the country's highest security authority, was investigating how al-Qaida managed to carry out the attacks in the past week.
The al-Qaida statement also claimed responsibility for an airplane explosion at Yemen's air force headquarters in Sanaa.
"The mujahedeen detonated a military airplane of the Yemeni Air Force in Al-Dailamy military base which was carrying weapons for Adan and Hadramout," the statement said. "The detonation has been made after infiltrating into the base and planting an IED inside the plane," the statement read.
Yemeni President Abdurabu Hadi pledged Tuesday to fight al-Qaida and reclaim areas of Abyan that have been taken over by the group.
"We expected obstacles, but the president will do all in his power to uproot the terror militants from the country. This is a promise he gave the people," said Yahya al-Arassi, the president's spokesman.
