LOC11:53
08:53 GMT
KUWAIT, Sept 21 (KUNA) -- Al-Qaeda gave Yemen's government 48 hours to
release two of its members and in return for unveiling the fate of senior
security official captured in north Yemen last month, a statement said on
Tuesday.
"We succeeded last month in kidnapping Saada province's deputy director of
political security Col. Ali Mohammed Saleh al-Hussam, who ran spy networks,"
said Al-Qaeda statement quoted by BBC radio.
It added that "There will be no way to know the fate of this spy except by
releasing two brothers Hussain al-Tais and Mashhour al-Ahdal, within 48 hours
of issuing this statement."
The violence in Yemen is escalating by the works of Al-Qaeda in the south,
in addition to rebels and Houthis in the north of Yemen.
Meanwhile, Clashes in south Yemen between the army and suspected al Qaeda
militants have driven thousands of residents of the Shabwa province from their
homes, in which three Al-Qaeda militants and two Yemeni soldiers were killed
on Sunday.
According to Red Cross in Sanaa between 8,000 and 12,000 people have left
the town of Al Hota and surrounding areas due to the violence.
Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for a botched bombing of a US-bound
airliner on December 25.
Cashes between Al-Qaeda and the Yemeni government have been on for many
years with rising attacks by the militant group on on international and
domestic targets. (end)
rg.zab.hs
KUNA 211153 Sep 10NNNN