Two Yemeni officials escaped assassination after Al Qaeda killed more than 10 soldiers

Government says time has come to uproot terrorism
By Nasser Arrabyee/07/01/2011

Two Yemeni officials survived assassination attempts after Al Qaeda fighters killed more than 10 soldiers in an ambush in a volatile town south of the country, local sources said late Friday।

One soldier was killed and six others were injured in the two separate assassination attempts in Lawadar where government troops are launching a military and security campaign against Al Qaeda fighters who ambushed three military supply vehicles in Amain area close to Lawdar town earlier today, Friday।

Al Qaeda fighters failed to assassinate commander Muhesn Juzailan, head of Brigade 111, but they killed one of his bodyguards and injured seriously three others, while he was inspecting the area where at least 10 of his soldiers were killed in an ambush earlier in the day।

Ali Awad , secretary general of the local council of Lawdar district survived also an assassination attempt , but three of his bodyguards were seriously injured, in same area, the local sources said.
A security official statement said that the government troops started a campaign immediately after about 15 Al Qaeda fighters implemented the ambush killing at least 10 soldiers earlier in the day।

“Time has come now to cut the hand of terrorism and uproot it from the area,” said the statement।

Local source said that the army started later afternoon Friday pounding with artillery and missiles on mountainous areas of Aked, and Maliha in Lawdar district where Al Qaeda attackers are believed to be hiding.