Yemen army, tribes in offensive on militants in south

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http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/07/17/uk-yemen-militants-idUKTRE76G0HR20110717

Reuters) - Yemeni forces backed by armed tribesmen have launched an offensive to retake Zinjibar, capital of southern Abyan province, officials said on Sunday, after months of fighting with Islamist militants who seized the capital and another city.

Dozens have been killed and some 54,000 civilians have fled Abyan, which has descended into daily bloodshed as the army faces a rising challenge from militants the government says have ties to al Qaeda.

After weeks of pleas for support from a besieged military brigade near Zinjibar, the government sent the first reinforcements on Saturday, aiming to flush militants out of the seaside city. Zinjibar lies east of the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait, where some 3 million barrels of oil pass daily.

"The head of the Defence Ministry sent reinforcements including tanks, rocket launchers and 500 extra soldiers," a local official said. "These forces began attacking (the city) backed by heavy tank shelling and rocket attacks from naval ships in order to liberate the 25th Brigade just outside Zinjibar and under siege for over a month."