"There is no such thing as al-Qaeda in al-Jawf," he said
Marib, a governorate directly to the East of Sana'a remains partially in control of rebels engaged in fierce battles with tribes still loyal to the president.
"Loyalist thugs from three of the main tribe in the governorate have attempted to retake large cities but we have managed to hold them off," said Hussain al-Qadi, a prominent tribal figure.
Qadi also mentioned that government buildings that have been taken in the governorate's capital city remain under armed protection of the youth protest security committee.
Following the deaths of 27 people last week in Marib's capital, the Yemeni government was quick to point the finger to al-Qaeda as being behind their territorial losses.
"Al-Qaeda is not in Marib, we have driven them out months ago. Those killed last week were murdered by plainclothes soldiers," said Qadi.
Those AQAP militants that were driven out of Marib have been engaged with the Yemeni military in the southern governorate of Abyan for months in quick hit and run attacks on Yemen's elite counter-terrorism forces.
However, the Yemeni government has mysteriously withdrawn these units from Abyan.
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