Suicide bombings: Unique weapons of Al Qaeda

By Nasser Arrabyee,07/06/2012

A total of 4 suicide bombings were foiled over the last weeks that were targeting army units inside the camps in the capital Sanaa and its outskirts, according security sources Thursday. 

Two suicide bombers were arrested in one the military camps in the southern outskirts of the capital Sanaa while they were wearing explosives belts in one of the bathrooms, said the security sources.  The suicide bombers, who soldiers  in that unit planted by Al Qaeda, were planning to blow themselves up in a daily parade inside the camp. The other two suicide operations were foiled by arresting a secret cell that was planning to implement suicide bombings against military and security installations, according to the sources. 

Meanwhile, a will was found in the pocket of one the terrorists who were killed in Zinjubar this week. The will was from Salem Mohammed Nasser Al Awlaki, to his father asking him to pardon him for shortcomings in obeying. He asked his father to pay back his debts to some shopkeepers in Aden. 

Suicide bombings have become almost the only weapons with Al Qaeda in Yemen to survive. 

With the increase of  the American drone attacks from the sky and shelling  of Yemeni troops and tribesmen from the land and  sea, Al Qaeda decided to use its unique weapons that  no one else has. 

That is the suicide bombers of young men  who always  dream of the promised  paradise virgins.  

Three suicide bombings took place in almost the same geographical areas in less than 24 hours. On Tuesday June 5, 2012, late after noon, at least four Al Qaeda operatives were killed when their car bomb exploded before they reached their destination. 

The bombing took place inside the coastal town of Shuqrah in the Gulf of Aden, which is one of Al Qaeda strongholds in the southern province of Abyan. This bombing came only less than one day after  Al Qaeda had sent three suicide bombers to stop the troops and tribesmen from advancing to their Taliban style Emirate of Shuqrah. 

Two suicide  bombers one of them dressed in women clothes ( completely covered in women traditional clothes) drove their car bomb to the area of Umm Surah, about 40 km north of Shuqrah, where they blew themselves up killing four fighting tribesmen in addition to themselves. 

One more suicide bomber was  discovered before he blew himself up  in another group of gunmen, and  his explosives wrapped around his body  exploded after he was shot dead. This was  Somali national according to tribesmen participating in the fight against Al Qaeda in areas north of Shuqrah. 

The army closed seven main roads leading to the targeted town of Shukrah from all directions: east, west, and north, the fourth direction is the sea direction in the Gulf of Aden. The step to close the roads was aimed at monitoring any car from Al Qaeda. The army will shell or strike from air any car moving in these roads from 6 pm to 6 am every day starting from Monday  June 4.

Al Qeada, however, threatened to implement suicide operations inside the capital Sanaa against the US, UK, Saudi Arabia embassies, and other western embassies if the army and tribesmen insisted on storming their Emirates Shuqrah, Zinjubar and Jaar.

  The three towns are almost under the control of the army. Military and security officials from Yemen will also be targets in Sanaa and other cities according to Al Qaeda threats. Al Qaeda said the minister of defense Mohammed Nasser Ahmed, who supervises the battles, was the target in the car bombing of Monday in Umm Surah. 

"We will not keep silent, what happened on May 21, 2012 in the arena of the Presidential Palace was just the first message," said a source from Al Qaeda, referring to the suicide bombing that killed 100 soldiers and injured 300 others in the parade square in the capital Sanaa. 

Meanwhile, tribal and religious leaders in contact with Al Qaeda for mediating, said that the fighters of Al Qaeda might leave the towns of Zinjubar, Jaar and Shuqrah, but this will not be the end of terrorism.

" Because of this big campaign against them, I am expecting them to leave the three towns, but they will move to the mountains," said Sheikh Abdullah from Jaar " But  the problem will continue, so there should be dialogue with them if we want to end the problem," said Sheikh Abdullah, who works as a mosque speaker in Jaar.