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SANA, Yemen — Al-Qaeda militants seized control of key areas in and around Yemen’s port city of Aden, high-ranking security officials said Saturday, a major gain for the group that has been making inroads amid the chaos of the country’s civil war.

The move, part of a weeks-long expansion in Aden in the wake of major fighting there between Shiite rebels known as Houthis and pro-government forces backed by Saudi Arabia, shows how the organization still holds formidable clout despite its relatively low-profile role in the country’s raging civil war.

Fighters took the Tawahi district, home to a presidential palace and Aden’s main port, and were patrolling the streets, some carrying black banners, the officials said.