Sanaa – Ali Rabea
Yemenis protestors want Saleh tried
Sanaa – Ali Rabea
Four people suspected of belonging to al-Qaeda were arrested on Friday by Yemeni authorities.It is believed that they murdered a senior official in the intelligence. Two Syrians and one Iraqi are among the suspects. Official sources have
announced that five members of Al-Qaeda were killed in a drone attack on Tuesday in Wadi el-Ain, Hadrmout governate. A local source said to Arabstoday that al-Qaeda was very active in the Harib area in central Yemen.
In Saada, controlled by the Houthi group, a large demonstration roamed the streets on Friday morning to express the popular frustration towards the American air raid in Yemen which kills civilians.
Thousands of Yemenis gathered in the the big cities. The protesters want former president Ali Abdullah Saleh to be brought to justice. They also want Saleh\'s relatives to be dismissed from their official responsibilities in the army and security institution.
The protestors, who belong to the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP), chanted slogans threatening to try Saleh and drop his impunity - which was granted to him according to the political settlement in Yemen supported by the Gulf States.
This protest comes after clashes broke out in Sanaa on Thursday evening between the Muslim Brotherhood Youth (Al Islah party) and members of the Houthi group (Shiites)
Fists and white weapons were used in the clashes, leaving 30 injured on both sides. Some of them sustained serious injuries.
In a separate incident, the Yemeni army claimed to have arrested 4 members of al-Qaeda on Friday. This arrest is the result of an investigation regarding the murder of a senior policeman in the Yemeni intelligence, Yehia Ali Hussien Badi.
The intelligence officer was killed days ago in Sanaa by two gunmen riding a motorcycle. A senior officer in the Yemeni air force was killed in a similar manner on Wednesday.
In another context, local sources in Marib said al-Qaeda elements are notably active in Harib. Locals fear that al-Qaeda may be in control of the city as some of them do lectures ans speeches in the mosques of the areas.
Oil wells in Marib have been recently been targeted by some individuals - al-Qaeda is the number one suspect.