2 soldiers killed in attack on army checkpoint in S Yemen

Source  :  Xinhua

ADEN, Yemen, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Three secessionists attacked an army checkpoint in Yemen's southern province of al-Dhalea on Tuesday, killing at least two soldiers, a police source and some local residents told Xinhua.

The pro-secession gunmen attacked a key checkpoint in a eastern suburb of al-Dhalea province and tried to take control of it, killing at least two soldiers at the scene, the source said on condition of anonymity.

Also, some local residents told Xinhua that the attackers, riding two motorbikes, threw two grenades toward the soldiers at the checkpoint and then fled.

Army reinforcements were later deployed around the military site, according to witnesses.

Last week, Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi started a national dialogue to end the country's prolonged political crisis.

The talks aimed to end separatist movement in the south in order to preserve unity, draft a new constitution and pave the way for the parliamentary and presidential elections set for February 2014.

However, leaders of the separatist Southern Movement refused to join the talks, insisting that the government troops should withdraw from the south.

Al-Qaeda kidnaps Intelligence officer-

Source : Yemen Post

Al-Qaeda stroke again this Sunday when it kidnapped Brig. Khaled Masood, a military intelligence officer based in Mudiya, a city of the southern province of Abyan. Local officials confirmed on Sunday Brig. Massod was targeted by the terror group while he was still at his residence. "The al-Qaeda suspects who were armed with assault rifles raided the officer's house and took him to unknown location," a government source said. Security officers have now set out to track down the terror militants to free their colleague. Confrontations in Abyan in between the government and al-Qaeda militants have intensified over the past weeks with reports of attacks on al-Qafr and Maraksha on Friday and Saturday against pro-government militias. Restive Abyan continues to pose the state a serious challenge with Islamic militants successfully managing to fall back on their positions, weaken but never completely beaten. Even the use of tribal militias loyal to the central government did not drive away terrorists from the region. With President Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi determined to militarily run down al-Qaeda militants with the U.S. military support, security analysts advance an alternative approach could prove better suited. Bruno S. Frey, Simon Luechinger from the Institute for Empirical Research in Economics, University of Zurich suggests an alternative counter-terrorism strategy in which "terrorist acts may be diminished by reducing the expected benefits of terrorist acts to the terrorists instead of raising the costs, through decentralization." "We have made the case [Decentralization as a disincentive for terror, European Journal of Political Economy] that strengthening decentralized decision-making may provide an effective disincentive against terrorist attacks. Political economy predicts, however, that a deterrence policy based on increasing the MC of terrorists will tend to be favored by governments, because it visibly demonstrates politicians’ determination to fight terrorism. In contrast, seeing and conserving the value of decentralization has more the character of a public good whose maintenance is not directly attributed to the government in power. The disincentive for terror increases the importance of safeguarding political and economic decentralization at the constitutional level."

Yemeni security forces clash with secessionists in Aden, 5 injured

Source   :   Xinhua

ADEN, Yemen, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Yemeni security forces clashed with pro- secession protesters in the southern port city of Aden on Saturday, leaving five people injured, a government official told Xinhua.

The clashes erupted when hundreds of pro-secession demonstrators staged an anti-government protest in Aden's neighborhood of Mansoura, the local government official said on condition of anonymity, confirming that five were seriously injured.

"Soldiers guarding the police headquarters in Mansoura fired teargas to disperse dozens of secessionist protesters who were hurling stones at the guards," the source said.

Local residents said army and security reinforcements have intensified in the area to prevent the protesters from attacking the police centers and government buildings.

Last Monday, Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi launched a national dialogue aimed at ending separatist movement in the south, creating a new constitution and paving the way for holding parliamentary and presidential elections in February 2014 after a two-year transition.

However, leaders of the separatist Southern Movement refused to join the talks, insisting that the Sanaa government should withdraw northern troops from the south.

In Aden, tens of thousands of the pro-secession Southern Movement rallied on Monday to call for their regions to be seceded from the north part.

The southerners complain of being economically and politically marginalized and discriminated against by the former regime since northern troops won a four-month civil war in 1994.

Hadi has repeatedly called for separatist groups in Aden and other major southern cities to join the talks, and promised compensation and settlement to the southerners.

3 pro-secession activists killed in fresh clashes with Yemeni police

Source :   Xinhua

ADEN, Yemen, March 13 (Xinhua) -- At least three activists of a secessionist movement were killed and 10 others injured in fresh clashes with police troops in Yemen's southern port city of Aden on Wednesday, a security official told Xinhua.

The police troops opened fire and attempted to disperse hundreds of secessionist demonstrators in Aden's neighborhood of Mansoura, leaving at least three people killed and 10 others injured, the local security official said on condition of anonymity.

"The pro-secession activists blocked main roads with rocks and burned tires cross the Mansoura district after a protest rally," the security source said.

Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi has called for separatist groups in the country's southern regions to take part in a planned reconciliation national dialogue to settle disputes and promised to compensate them.

Separatist sentiment escalated after a four-month civil war in 1994. Southerners complain of being economically and politically marginalized and discriminated.

Hadi announced that the government will hold the national dialogue on March 18 to solve disputes among political factions and pave the way for amending the constitution and preparing for presidential elections in 2014.

10 al-Qaida members captured in southern Yemen

Source : Xinhua

ADEN, Yemen, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's pro-government militiamen raided a terrorist cell and captured 10 al-Qaida members on Sunday in Yemen's southern province of Abyan, a tribal chief told Xinhua.

The militiamen destroyed an al-Qaida terrorist cell that was operating in Abyan's Jaar town and planning armed attacks against army posts in the region, the local tribal chief said on condition of anonymity.

"Our tribal fighters stormed an al-Qaida-held site in Jaar town and seized 10 terrorists along with three improvised explosive devices," the tribal source said.

Two of the al-Qaida members were behind an armed attack that targeted a post run by pro-government militiamen last week, according to the tribal chief.

The Yemen-based al-Qaida branch, known locally as Ansar al- Sharia (Partisans of Islamic Law), took advantage of a political upheaval in 2011 in Yemen to take over several towns of the southern restive regions.

The militants were targeted by Yemeni security authorities after a U.S.- backed offensive launched in Abyan province months ago routed the militants out of their strongholds they had controlled for nearly one year.

The Yemeni government has beefed up anti-terror operation since Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi took office in February 2012.

3 al-Qaida members escape from prison in southern Yemen

Source :  Xinhua

ADEN, Yemen, March 6 (Xinhua) -- At least three members of the Yemen- based al-Qaida branch escaped from an intelligence jail in the southern province of Abyan on Wednesday evening, a security official told Xinhua.

Three al-Qaida inmates escaped from the military intelligence jail in Mudiyah town in Abyan province, after a short shootout with guards at the prison, the local security official said on condition of anonymity.

"An armed squad of terrorists attacked security guards at the main gate of Mudiyah prison, sparking a short shootout in the area, " the security source said, adding that the three al-Qaida inmates staged the getaway amid the clashes.

A local intelligence source confirmed Wednesday's prison escape but declined to give more details.

The Yemen-based al-Qaida branch, known locally as Ansar al- Sharia (Partisans of Islamic Law), took advantage of a political upheaval in 2011 in Yemen to take over several towns of the southern restive regions.

The militants were targeted by Yemeni security authorities after a U.S.- backed offensive launched in Abyan province months ago routed the militants out of their strongholds that they had been control of for nearly a year.

The Yemeni government has beefed up anti-terror operation since Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi took office in February 2012.

Yemen may refer separatists to international court: president

Source : Xinhua

SANAA, March 2 (Xinhua) -- The Yemeni government could pursue separatist leaders at the International Criminal Court if they attempt to impede the political reconciliation process in the country, President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi said Saturday.

"Any party, whether inside the country or abroad trying to hinder the political reconciliation process in Yemen, will be sued at the International Criminal Court in accordance with the United Nations resolutions," the state Saba news agency quoted Hadi as saying at a government meeting in Aden, Yemen's southern port city, a key stronghold of armed separatist groups.

"We will not allow anyone to harm the security and stability of Aden... and the money spent on anarchists and outlaws is dirty, aiming to destabilize the region and we will prosecute those who are behind it," Hadi said.

Aden has witnessed weeks-long deadly clashes between security forces and activists of the secessionist Southern Movement who insist the breakup of Yemen after 23 years of unity between the south and north.

At least one activist was killed and several others were wounded in fresh clashes on Saturday, bringing the death toll to more than 11 since confrontations erupted on Feb. 21, the first anniversary of Hadi's victory in the presidential election after Ali Abdullah Saleh was forced to step down as a result of the uprising in 2011.

Hadi began his visit to Aden on Feb. 23, the first trip since he took office last year, after clashes escalated in recent days.

He has called for separatist groups in Aden and other major southern cities to take part in a planned reconciliation national dialogue set for March 18, and has promised compensation and settlement to the southerners.

Separatist sentiment escalated after northern troops won a four- month civil war in 1994. Southerners complain of being economically and politically marginalized and discriminated agai

Yemeni al-Qaida posts new issue of online magazine

Source : APA

Baku-APA.Yemen's al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula — considered to be the network's most dangerous branch — is urging for holy war in a new edition English-language magazine, APA reports quoting Associated Press.

The edition appeared on militant websites Thursday after an almost nine mo The magazine's former editor, American Samir Khan, was killed in a U.S. dro September 2011 in Yemen, together with the U.S.-born militant cleric Anwar The magazine's new editor, Yahia Ibrahim, praised the two slain al-Qaida fig "team whose martyrdom inspires" others.

The new edition includes excerpts from an interview with al-Qaida's America Adam Gadahn, who uses the name "Azzam the American." He urges militants to continue fighting America and other NATO members to them economically and militarily.