SANA, Yemen — Yemeni government forces clashed Sunday with militant groups for control over the strategic port of Aden in the southern city with the same name, Yemeni government officials said.
The officials say the militants — who are using the port to run lucrative smuggling operations — have refused to hand it over to the government. They accuse the militants of receiving support from Al Qaeda.
A drive-by shooting on Thursday in Aden killed Ahmed al-Idrisi, a top progovernment militia leader, and five of his companions hours after he reluctantly agreed to hand over control of the port.
Residents near the port described seeing militiamen deploy in the area and hearing clashes between the militia fighters and government forces. Officials said heavy clashes were taking place at the port's main gate.