Sana’a: Suspected Al Qaida militants killed a senior army officer in front of his home in the capital Sana’a, Yemen’s Defence Ministry said. The ministry said in a statement on Saturday that two men on a motorcycle opened fire at Brigadier-General Abdullah Al Mehdar, a member of the committee assigned to restructure the armed forces, and fled.
Yemeni media said on Sunday that Al Mehdar was seriously injured last year in a bomb explosion, also in front of his home, and was flown to Jordan for treatment.
Meanwhile, a Yemeni security official said a US drone attacked targets on Saturday in the province of Al Bayda, a militant stronghold, but could not provide further information. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to brief the media.
Yemen’s branch of Al Qaida, also known as Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, is seen by Washington as the most dangerous in the world and has been linked to several attempted attacks on the US homeland.
Washington has been assisting Yemeni counter-terrorism forces with logistics, training and drone attacks. The militants have fought back, targeting government buildings and security forces.
