01 September 2016

News Story: UN envoy says Yemen's military escalation facilitating terrorism

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- UN Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed on Wednesday told the Security Council that the current military escalation in Yemen is facilitating the expansion of terrorist groups.

"Al Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) continue to wreak havoc in significant parts of Yemen," said Ould Cheikh Ahmed, adding that the absence of the state in many parts of the country will fuel the spread of terrorism.

On Monday, a suicide bombing that targeted an army recruiting compound in Yemen's southern port city of Aden has left at least 65 people killed and 55 injured. The IS has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Ould Cheikh Ahmed noted that the dangerous escalation in military activities has followed the collapse of the UN-sponsored peace talks in host Kuwait, which aimed to end the country's 18 months of fighting.

Since then, fighting escalated between foes inside Yemen and on the southern borders with Saudi Arabia. UN statistics show that the number of internally displaced persons has risen to over 3 million.

Read the full story at Xinhua