Six al Qaeda militants were killed in an air strike in northern Yemen on Friday in a stepped-up campaign by the Yemeni government against the Islamist militant group. "Two cars carrying eight dangerous al Qaeda members were hit in an area between Saada and al-Jouf," a Yemeni security official told Reuters.
"Two may have survived and escaped." "The group included Qassem al-Remi, Ayed al-Shabwani, Ammar al-Waeli, and Saleh al-Teys," the official said, adding that the four were wanted by the Yemeni and US security services. "It is believed that Qassem al-Remi and Ayed al-Shabwani were killed in the air strike."
Al-Shabwani was one of the most dangerous al Qaeda members who provided a hideout for other militants at his farm in Maarib, where their training took place, the official said. Maarib is a mountainous eastern province where the oil and gas fields of major international companies are located.
Yemen had already stepped its operations against al Qaeda since a Yemen-based wing of the group said it was behind an attempt to blow up a Detroit-bound US airliner on Dec. 25.
The foiled bombing has focused attention on the growing prominence of al Qaeda in Yemen and the expanding role of the US military and intelligence agencies in fighting it. Yemen declared open war on al Qaeda on Thursday and warned its citizens against aiding the global militant group. Authorities sent troops this week to join a drive against al Qaeda in three provinces.
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