SANAA, Yemen, June 18 (UPI) -- Al-Qaida in Yemen said it killed Gen. Mohammed Salem Qatan, the chief military commander for southern Yemen, officials said Monday.
Qatan died when a Somali man linked to al-Qaida exploded a suicide belt as Qatan, who was leading military operations against al-Qaida in the South, headed to his office in Aden.
Mareb Press said the attack came after al-Qaida leaders warned against strikes targeting national and foreign interests in the Arabian Peninsula.
Azzan -- a stronghold of al-Qaida in the southern province of Shabwa -- was liberated Monday after tribal leaders successfully negotiated a peaceful withdrawal, the Yemen Post reported.
Military officers confirmed through the defense ministry Azzan was under the control of the armed forces.
In Zinjibar -- regional capital of the southern province of Abyan previously under the control of al-Qaida -- a landmine explosion killed three civilians, al-Masdar online reported Monday.
The Aden Forum reported foreign embassies advised nationals to exert extreme caution while in Sanaa after the interior ministry warned of more al-Qaida suicide attacks in the capital.
