Al-Qaeda acquisition of sophisticated weapons brings down Emirati fighter jet

'Al Qaeda has confiscated huge amounts of weapons from bases in Yemen.'

Though Al-Qaeda hasn't really been much in the spotlight since the 9/11 attacks, an exclusive update reveals the group's resurgence after stealing weapons from Yemen military bases.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - According to the Independent, al-Qaeda shot down an Emirati fighter jet with the sophisticated weapons acquired after infiltrating Yemen military bases.

The jet, which flew as a member of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) crashed into a mountainside on March 14, with officials claiming it was "the result of a technical malfunction," but unnamed sources claim it was shot down.

Both pilots of the jet were killed after engaging in an attack on AQAP forces, with one source claiming the surface-to-air missile was an SA-7, also known as a "Strela," which is a heat-seeking missile.

The UAE has been fighting Shia Houthi rebels for the past year as the al-Qaeda group, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) continues to stronghold south Yemen.

The downed jet was the fourth to crash in the fight for Yemen, but has been reported to be the first to be felled by a surgace-to-air missile.

Al-Qaeda has been relatively quiet compared to its ISIS friends, but the group recently made headlines for kidnapping a Swiss nun twice and for receiving American weapons from Syrian rebel fighters who surrendered to the them.

Yemen's year-long civil war, which has resulted in the deaths of over 6,000 people since its inception, recently came to a standstill as nine Saudi soldiers were exchanged for 109 rebel fighters.

A ceasefire is planned and peace talks are expected to begin next month.

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