Amotamar.net, Saba - Yemen’s Interior Ministry has urged its security forces in six provinces of the country to lift vigilance and tighten security measures to counter any sabotage and criminal acts.

In a press release posted Saturday on its website, Interior Ministry directed its personnel to take tough security measures against terrorist and criminal elements in the provinces of Abyan, Shabwa, Jawf, Marib, Saada and Hadramout where terrorist elements are expected to carry out acts of sabotage there.

These directions were renewed one day after fierce clashes took place in Abyan between government soldiers and al-Qaeda members, killing 11 soldiers.

The Ministry said that massive hunt-down operations are underway to arrest the perpetrators and present them to justice, emphasizing the need to strengthen the security measures for protecting vital facilities and security and military institutions in the six provinces.

It stressed the importance of taking precautions in various security checkpoints in order to arrest the most wanted terrorist suspects and the need to keep the security units on alert and ready to face all possible eventualities and counter any acts of sabotage.