Agencies, Tokyo :
The US defence secretary says al-Qaeda has “seized the opportunity” in Yemen amid reports that fighters from the group had stormed a border post near Saudi Arabia.
Speaking during a visit to Japan on Wednesday, Ashton Carter said both the Houthis and Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) were taking advantage of disorder following the collapse of Yemen’s central government.
Referring to AQAP activity in Yemen, Reuters news agency quoted him as saying: “We see them making direct gains on the ground there as they try to take territory, seize territory in these battle lines … we are observing that”.
Carter said the US, which has waged a covert drone campaign against AQAP, would continue to combat the threat posed by the group.
In Tuesday’s incident on Yemen’s border with Saudi Arabia, AQAP fighters are believed to have seized a post, killing at least two soldiers.
The attack, which occurred near Manwakh, about 440km northeast of the capital Sanaa, occurred less than a week after AQAP attacked the Arabian Sea port of Mukalla.
An alliance of tribal fighters advanced into Mukalla two days later to drive out AQAP, but residents say the fighters remain in control of around half of the town.
The developments came as the US said it was supplying intelligence to the Saudi-led coalition bombing of Houthi rebel positions and pledged to expedite arms supplies.
While on a visit to the Saudi capital Riyadh on Tuesday, Tony Blinken, deputy secretary of state, said Saudi Arabia was sending a “strong message to the Houthis and their allies that they cannot overrun Yemen by force”.
“As part of that effort, we have expedited weapons deliveries, we have increased our intelligence sharing, and we have established a joint coordination planning cell in the Saudi operation centre,” Blinken said.
Japan report adds : New guidelines governing the Japan-US defence alliance will allow the two militaries to “cooperate seamlessly”, American Defence Secretary Ashton Carter said today in Tokyo following a meeting with his Japanese counterpart.
On the second day of a three-day visit to Japan, Carter met Gen Nakatani to thrash out rules on how their armed forces can work together in the coming years.
The move comes as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is pushing for a higher profile regional role for Japan at a time of growing disquiet in Asia over the rise of a newly assertive China, a push that is welcomed by Washington.
The US defence secretary says al-Qaeda has “seized the opportunity” in Yemen amid reports that fighters from the group had stormed a border post near Saudi Arabia.
Speaking during a visit to Japan on Wednesday, Ashton Carter said both the Houthis and Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) were taking advantage of disorder following the collapse of Yemen’s central government.
Referring to AQAP activity in Yemen, Reuters news agency quoted him as saying: “We see them making direct gains on the ground there as they try to take territory, seize territory in these battle lines … we are observing that”.
Carter said the US, which has waged a covert drone campaign against AQAP, would continue to combat the threat posed by the group.
In Tuesday’s incident on Yemen’s border with Saudi Arabia, AQAP fighters are believed to have seized a post, killing at least two soldiers.
The attack, which occurred near Manwakh, about 440km northeast of the capital Sanaa, occurred less than a week after AQAP attacked the Arabian Sea port of Mukalla.
An alliance of tribal fighters advanced into Mukalla two days later to drive out AQAP, but residents say the fighters remain in control of around half of the town.
The developments came as the US said it was supplying intelligence to the Saudi-led coalition bombing of Houthi rebel positions and pledged to expedite arms supplies.
While on a visit to the Saudi capital Riyadh on Tuesday, Tony Blinken, deputy secretary of state, said Saudi Arabia was sending a “strong message to the Houthis and their allies that they cannot overrun Yemen by force”.
“As part of that effort, we have expedited weapons deliveries, we have increased our intelligence sharing, and we have established a joint coordination planning cell in the Saudi operation centre,” Blinken said.
Japan report adds : New guidelines governing the Japan-US defence alliance will allow the two militaries to “cooperate seamlessly”, American Defence Secretary Ashton Carter said today in Tokyo following a meeting with his Japanese counterpart.
On the second day of a three-day visit to Japan, Carter met Gen Nakatani to thrash out rules on how their armed forces can work together in the coming years.
The move comes as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is pushing for a higher profile regional role for Japan at a time of growing disquiet in Asia over the rise of a newly assertive China, a push that is welcomed by Washington.
