Yemeni forces and Al Qaeda fighters skirmished in Aden on Tuesday as the Saudi-led coalition supported with air cover, in an attempt to drive the militants out of the city, according to reports given by security officials.
Al Qaeda holds part of Aden, a southern port city, which is now a temporary headquarters for the government of embattled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi as it struggles to recapture large swaths of Yemen from the Houthi rebels.
On Tuesday, forces loyal to Hadi laid siege to the central Mansura district of the city and skirmished with militants, while Apache helicopters from the coalition provided air cover, according to security officials present in the city.
The fighting killed at least two gunmen, the officials said.
Reports from local residents said warplanes hovered overhead and that they feared for their lives.
"We live in terror... We got rid of the Houthis and now Al Qaeda militants have come to turn our lives into hell," said one resident.
Loyalists to the embattled president Hadi, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, recaptured Aden and four other southern provinces from the rebels since July. The Houthis still maintain control over Sanaa and other northern regions.
Al Qaeda and the Daesh group have exploited the weakness of the government to gain more ground in southern areas such as Aden city.
The two militant groups have a presence in Aden, where militants occupy government buildings and are reported to patrol several districts and intimidate civilians.
