You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Arabia
Qaeda frees 73 Yemen soldiers
2012-04-30
Al-Qaeda on Sunday freed dozens of Yemeni soldiers they captured during battles with the army in the southern province of Abyan, most of which is held by the jihadists, a provincial official said.
Why would they do that, if they had the upper hand?
"Al-Qaeda has released 73 soldiers they seized in the south in early March," said the official in the militant stronghold of Jaar. The soldiers were "driven in two buses from Jaar to Aden," the main southern city, the official said, adding that religious and tribal mediators had secured their release.

On March 4, militants from the Yemeni-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, fighting under the banner of the Partisans of Sharia (Islamic law), attacked an army camp near the provincial capital Zinjibar, killing 185 soldiers and capturing scores.

In a statement claiming responsibility for the assault, Al-Qaeda said it was holding 73 soldiers. The announcement of their release came as rumours circulated the soldiers might be executed.

The Partisans of Sharia have expanded their control over Yemen's lawless southern and eastern provinces, taking advantage of a weakened central government in Sanaa and months of political upheaval.
Posted by:Steve White

00:00