SANA’A — A source in Yemen’s air force said Yemen is studying an offer from the U.S to support Yemen with twenty gliders and five helicopters for security operations, guarding the Yemeni borders and observing the Yemeni coastline.

The source said Yemen welcomes any support given to the air force to help combat terrorism, asserting that the 20 Cessna gliders and 5 Casa helicopters will arrive in early 2013 and will be used for surveillance, within the international support for Yemen to combat extremism.

Abdulrahman Al-Helali, a major engineer in the air force, said the gliders are used for surveillance, not for attacks like drones.

Al-Helali said Yemen can fight Al-Qaeda alone, but since some countries are offering support, it should be accepted, particularly because of international pressure to combat Al-Qaeda’s presence, which helps increase national instability.