Yemeni Forces Arrest Al-Qaeda Commander in Sana’a
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Yemeni forces arrested a senior leader of the al-Qaeda terrorist group who planned to carry out a terrorist operation in the capital, Sana'a, Yemen's Interior Ministry says.
The spokesman of the ministry, Brigadier General Abdul Khaleq al-Ajri, who did not reveal the name of the al-Qaeda commander, said he was arrested in Sana'a on Saturday, according to Yemen's official Saba Net news agency.
The Yemeni official said that the terrorist was coming from the central province of Ma'rib to carry out a terror operation in the capital.
Al-Ajri added that the detained al-Qaeda commander had led the terrorist forces in the Qaifa area of the central province of al-Bayda, where they were forced to flee after suffering defeat from the Yemeni forces.
On Wednesday, the ministry’s Security Information Center said that both the Daesh and al-Qaeda terrorist groups had carried out more than 320 attacks in the province of al-Bayda during the past five years.
Earlier this week, the Yemeni military announced that more than 1,000 square kilometers of al-Bayda had been cleared of terrorists. It said over 250 members of Daesh and al-Qaeda had been killed or wounded during the cleansing operations.
The Yemeni military is also fighting off a Saudi-led war on the country.
Saudi Arabia invaded Yemen in March 2015 in an unsuccessful attempt to subdue a popular uprising that overthrew a Riyadh-friendly regime.
The ongoing war has killed tens of thousands of Yemenis and pushed the country close to the brink of famine. It has also taken a heavy toll on the country’s infrastructure, destroying hospitals, schools, and factories.
The aggressor countries have also imposed a blockade on impoverished Yemen.
The war has provided an opportunity for terrorist groups such as Daesh and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to secure a foothold in Yemen.