Fierce clashes erupted Monday evening in the al-Qaida militants following an outbreak of disputes among them, leaving four militants killed and five others injured, sources close to al-Qaida and witnesses said.
A source close to the militants told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that four were killed and five others were injured in clashes due to disputes among two leading members of the group on managing the affairs of al-Qaida-seized city of Jaar, some 12 km north of Zinjibar, the provincial capital of Abyan province.
Earlier the day, the same source said that "armed clashes broke out between the al-Qaida militants who affiliate the two leading members of the terrorist group, Abdul Latif al-Sid and Abu Ali al- Hadrami on how to manage the affairs the Jaar city."
"Abdul Latif al-Sid demanded all the al-Qaida fighters stationed in Jaar to withdraw from the region, which was refused by Abu Ali al-Hadrami, leading the two factions clashed with each other," he added.
Abyan, some 480 km south of the capital Sanaa, has become almost under control of resurgent al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula since the militants seized Abyan's provincial capital city of Zinjibar and Jaar late in May. The government forces then intensified the crackdown on the terrorist group, including launching the air raids, which left hundreds of the al-Qaida members dead or injured.