Yemeni authorities say the spokesman of the Daesh terrorist group, Abou Huzayfah Al-Ansari, has been killed during a joint security operation in Seiyun city.
Security sources identified him as Mithaq Thabet Haitham Al-Hujaili, a Yemeni from Hajjah province, and described him as the spokesman for the entire organisation.
The operation was carried out by Arab coalition special forces with support from Yemen’s counter-terrorism Force 22, following intelligence-sharing between the Yemeni State Security Service and the coalition’s joint command.
Authorities said Al-Ansari was killed while hiding inside a house where eight civilians, including five children, were also present. The women and children were taken to safety without injuries, while another man was arrested after resisting and sustaining injuries.
Security forces also recovered an explosives belt, which was detonated at the scene, as well as a laptop and five mobile phones. Authorities said no other person was injured and no property was damaged.
The operation comes as Daesh’s presence in Yemen has been significantly weakened by years of military and security operations. The group emerged in the country in 2014 and established cells in parts of Al-Bayda, Hadramawt and Shabwa.
Yemeni authorities say the government will continue operations against wanted terrorists in cooperation with the Saudi-led Arab coalition and international partners.
