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Yemen Nabs 2 Qaeda Leaders
EFL:Security forces have arrested two leading al Qaeda members in their pursuit of militants in the south Yemeni mountains, security officials said Thursday. In Yemen, local officials were trying to negotiate the surrender of the remaining militants who have been surrounded by security forces equipped with tanks and helicopters, the officials said, speaking on customary condition of anonymity. "Hey, yoose guys! Come out with your hands up!" The officials said the senior al Qaeda agents Abdul Raouf Naseeb and Sayed Imam el-Sharif were among more than a dozen militants captured Tuesday and Wednesday in an operation in the mountains of Abyan province, 292 miles south of the capital Sanâa. A twofer! Excellent! Earlier Thursday, the officials had named only Naseeb, who was sought by Yemeni police and U.S. officials and is believed to have survived the November 2002 attack by a CIA-operated drone that killed al Qaedaâs chief agent in Yemen, Qaed Salim Sinan al-Harethi, said the officials. At the time of the drone attack, Yemeni officials did not say that any al Qaeda operatives had survived. On Thursday, security officials said Naseeb was wounded in the attack and then sheltered by tribal sympathizers. Hope it was painful. Naseeb allegedly planned the breakout of 10 militants who escaped from an Aden prison in April 2003. The militants had been detained in connection with the suicide attack of the U.S. destroyer USS Cole in 2000, which killed 17 American sailors. Donât let him get away, Ok? El-Sharif is a former leader and chief ideologue of Egyptâs Islamic Jihad, whose members killed President Anwar Sadat in 1981. He moved to Yemen in 1996, but is still wanted in Egypt in connection with Sadatâs assassination and cases of alleged terrorism as recent as 1999. If Yemen doesnât want him, Iâm sure Egypt would be glad to take him off their hands. El-Sharifâs colleague in the Jihad leadership, Ayman al-Zawahri, joined forces with Osama bin Ladenâs militant group and is now the No. 2 figure in al Qaeda. Heâs also No. 2 on the FBI list of Most Wanted Terrorists, with a $25 million reward offered for information leading to his capture. Yemeni security forces surrounded the militants in the mountains late Wednesday. On Thursday, officials told reporters that the area had been cordoned off and the security forces were giving the militants a chance to surrender through the mediation of local figures. The crackdown came amid reports of planned attacks in Yemen. Security has been noticeably tightened in the capital, Sanâa, around embassies, foreign companies and government institutions. Just hold on to them till we pick them up. Posted by: Steve 2004-03-04 |
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