Qaeda suspects killed tribal leader, mediator, political asylum seeker

Al Qaeda suspects killed  tribal leader, mediator, political asylum seeker 

By Nasser Arrabyee, 10/01/2013

The family of a slain tribal leader  demanded the Yemeni  government to investigate into the assassination of their son  Mulla Zabara who was killed in an area between Shabwah and Abyan Thursday.

The brother Abu Bakr Abdul Salam said they would not bury the remains of Mulla Zabara until they know the killer. " We will keep the remains in Ataq, capital of Shabwah, until we know who killed him, and killer must be put on trial," said the brother Abu Bakr. 

"My brother was a peace maker between tribesmen everywhere, as everybody knows," the brother added over phone from Ataq.

Earlier, the tribal leader, Sheikh Ali Abdul Salam, Mulla Zabar, was killed and one of his bodyguards injured in Thaykah area, of the mountaineous district of Al Mahfad, one of the most important strongholds of Al Qaeda in the south, said relatives Thursday. 

Mulla Zabara, previously he had links with Al Qaeda, was in his way from Aden to the Shabwah when three gunmen riding a pick up car met him in Thaykah area where they talked with him for sometime before they shot him dead, said his brother Abu Bakr Abdul Salam.

One of his bodyguards, called Mohammed Ahmed Saleh Al Shaibi, was injured in the operation. Now the remains of Mualla Zabarah and the injured Al Shaibah in the hospital of Al Mahfad, said the brother. ( before they transferred them to Ataq later in the day).

Mr  Zabarah  mediated between Al Qaeda and the government many times.

 He was the main mediator between Al Qaeda and French organizations when Al Qaeda released three French hostages in 2011 in return for ransom. 

The brother Abu Bakr did not accuse any one, but he said there must be investigations.

However, Mulla Zabar said one week ago that his life was in danger and he wanted to seek asylum in a  European Country. 

"My life is in danger now here in Shabwah, I want to seek asylum in one of the European countries," he told the journalist Nasser Arrabyee,  over phone from Shabwah one week  before he was killed. 

Mulla Zabara is from Alawlaki tribes in  of Shabwah province, the same tribe of Anwar Al Awlaki, and Fahd Al Qusu who were both killed by US drone attacks in 2011.