Security developments in Yemen

FACTBOX
Source: Reuters,23/10/2010
Yemen is trying to quell a resurgent wing of al Qaeda that has increased attacks on Western and regional targets in the Arabian Peninsula state, neighbour to oil giant Saudi Arabia. It is also trying to cement a truce with Shi'ite rebels to end a civil war in the north that has raged on and off since 2004, and to end a separatist rebellion in the south.

Following are security developments in Yemen in the past month (* denotes new or updated item):

* HADRAMOUT, Oct 22 - A Yemeni colonel in the intelligence service was killed in Mukalla, centre of the southeastern province of Hadramout. Al Qaeda fighters were believed to be behind the attack.

SANAA, Oct 22 - Yemen security forces arrest 10 people, including 5 Pakistanis for distributing "extremist jihadist materials that incites killing and hatred" at a mosque in the Dalaa Hamdan region, west of capital Sanaa. No information given on background of Pakistani detainees.

SANAA, Oct 20 - Yemeni authorities offer a reward of $50,000 for information on the whereabouts of two Saudi "terrorists", Turki al-Shahrani and Ahmed al-Jasser, the Interior Ministry said on its website.

SANAA, Oct 18 - A Yemeni court sentenced to death an al Qaeda bomb-maker.

ADEN, Oct 17 - Yemeni aircraft bombed al Qaeda positions in southern Yemen, a government official said, after militants ambushed a tank column, killing four soldiers.

ABYAN, Oct 16 - Two al Qaeda militants died in a suicide car bombing against an army patrol, the Defence Ministry website said. The website denied reports that two tanks had been destroyed in the attack near the southern town of Mudiyah, but did not give details of damages or casualties.

SANAA, Oct 16 - Authorities arrested Saleh al-Rimi, a Saudi-based Yemeni accused of providing funds to al Qaeda, as he arrived at Sanaa airport, the Interior Ministry said on its website.

ABYAN, Oct 16 - A car bomb wounded a senior intelligence officer and his assistant in the southern province of Abyan.

SANAA, Oct 16 - Authorities offered a reward of nearly $100,000 for information on eight wanted al Qaeda suspects.

ABYAN, Oct 14 - The governor of Abyan escaped unharmed from an assassination attempt by suspected al Qaeda militants. The chief of police in the district of Mudiyah was killed in a suspected al Qaeda attack.

ADEN, Oct 12 - Police arrested 19 al Qaeda members in Aden after two explosions at a sports club killed two people.

ABYAN, Oct 10 - Gunmen riding motorcycles killed an intelligence officer in the southern province of Abyan, a security official said. He said the officer was one of 54 security officials that al Qaeda's regional wing had threatened to kill in a statement distributed last month.

LAHJ, Oct 10 - A gunman was killed and two soldiers injured in a clash in the southern province of Lahj.

HADRAMOUT, Oct 9 - Masked gunmen killed an intelligence officer in a market west of Mukalla. Al Qaeda fighters were believed to have carried out the attack.

SANAA, Oct 9 - Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula said in statements posted on the Internet that it was behind a Sept 25 attack on security forces in the capital Sanaa and two earlier raids in the southern province of Lahj.

ABYAN, Oct 9 - Gunmen attacked a security patrol in the town of Lawdar in Abyan, injuring two soldiers, a local official said.

SANAA, Oct 6 - A rocket attack in Sanaa targeted a vehicle carrying the deputy chief of the British mission in Yemen and a gunman opened fire at an Austrian-owned oil and gas firm, killing a Frenchman.

SHABWA, Sept 29 - Gunmen attacked the convoy of the governor of the southern province of Shabwa and the deputy head of the army staff, killing one soldier and wounding four.

AL-HOTA, Sept 26 - Government forces killed five al Qaeda militants and detained 32 suspects during operations in which two soldiers were killed.

SANAA, Sept 25 - Gunmen opened fire on security forces in Sanaa, injuring several, in a rare attack in the capital.

AL-HOTA, Sept 24 - A government siege of al-Hota ended after security forces took control of the town.

AL-HOTA, Sept 22 - Four people were killed and three wounded in clashes between the government and suspected al-Qaeda fighters. Government forces launched a counterattack using planes and tanks. (Reporting by Mohammed Mokhashaf in Aden, and Mohammed Ghobari and Mohamed Sudam in Sanaa; Compiled by Dubai bureau)