Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) fighters seized Azzan, a city in Yemen's southeastern province of Shabwa, after a battle with government forces June 1, a local official said, Xinhua reported. Tribal leaders and residents confirmed the news. A government official in Shabwa said the governor of Shabwa met with tribal chiefs and dignitaries and that they signed an agreement to form armed popular committees to defend residential neighborhoods and government facilities.