Yemen Launches
Offensive Against Al-Qaeda Militants
Yemeni
war planes have struck the house and farm of a Yemen-based al
Qaeda leader in the latest action in a government offensive
against the militants.
A security official said on Wednesday that that the assault by
Sanaa came as it declared war on al Qaeda last week as pressure
mounted on it to crack down on the global militant group after
its Yemen-based wing said it was behind an attempt on December
25th, to bomb a U.S.- bound passenger plane.
’’The home of the terrorist Ayed al-Shabwani was targeted in
an air raid today, but until now there are no details on the
result of the raid,’’ a Yemeni official said in an
interview.
It was not known if Shabwani was in the house in Maarib province
east of Sanaa at the time.
Shabwani was one of six al Qaeda militants the government had
previously said died in an air strike last week but al Qaeda
later denied any of its members had been killed.
War on many fronts
Western powers and neighbouring Saudi Arabia worry Yemen could
turn into a failed state and fear al Qaeda could exploit the
ensuing chaos to strengthen its foothold in the poorest Arab
country and turn it into a launch pad for further attacks.
Yemen, hunting al Qaeda in several provinces, is also fighting a
northern Shi'ite insurgency and faces separatist sentiment in
the south.
Yemen gained a reputation as an al Qaeda haven after the
September 11, 2001 attacks in the U.S., and came under the
spotlight after crackdowns on the group in Pakistan and
Afghanistan raised fears Yemen was becoming a training and
recruiting centre for militants.
NAN/Yinka
