Yemeni official says army has driven al-Qaida militants out of besieged town in south province

Yemeni army drives al-Qaida out of besieged town

SAN’A, Yemen — A senior Yemeni security official says the army has driven al-Qaida fighters from a southern town after five days of clashes.

The troops, backed by tanks and heavy artillery, laid siege on Monday to retake the town of Hawta, which had been seized by the militants. The operation in Shabwa province was an escalation in the government’s campaign to uproot al-Qaida’s local offshoot.

Brig. Gen. Ahmed al-Maqdashi, head of Shabwa security, says the militants fled into the mountains on Friday. He says the army is chasing after them.

However, tribal chiefs in the area say they negotiated an end to the siege and persuaded the militants to leave peacefully. They say the army entered the town without fighting. The chiefs spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing government reprisal.