Sana'a: Al Qaida in Yemen has blasted the US over a recent government strike against them, but says that their anger would be directed towards the US and not the Yemeni government.
The operation, which supposedly targeted a training camp of Al Qaida, killed dozens of people, including women and children.
The intelligence and weaponry came from the US.
Tribal leaders from the provinces of Abyan and Shabwa, gathered in Al Majalah on Monday, demanding an investigation on the massacre of civilians.
Will the strikes backfire and help Al Qaida gain popularity?
The careless loss of civilian life, many believe, will turn the already volatile Yemen, in a more radical direction, as anti-American sentiment soared after the strike.
Al Qaida members attending the gathering, vowed retaliation, and used it as an opportunity to promote Al Qaida and its fight against the West, vowing retaliation.
"The war in Yemen is between Al Qaeda and US and not between Al Qaida and the Yemeni army," said a man, who was unmasked with an armed bodyguard standing behind him.
Speaking to thousands of tribesmen, he said, "The soldiers should understand that we do not want to fight them, there is no problem between us and soldiers, the problem is between us and America, so, they must not stand with America, the victory is coming soon for us."
Sources, from the site of gathering, identified the man as Mohammad Saleh Al Awlaki, from Shabwah, who is related to Fahd Al Kus'a, who was involved in the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000.
Abdul Elah Haidar Shaya, an expert in terrorism affairs, played down the Thursday's operations against Al Qaida saying they will only increase the new recruitment of Al Qaida.
"The operation was against civilians, which means Al Qaeda will gain from that strike by recruiting a lot of angry people," he said.
While the government says, 34 Al Qaida operatives were killed and 30 others were arrested in the three simultaneous operations in Sana'a, Arhab, and Abyan, the local residents in Al Majalah say 45 civilians were killed most of them were women and children.
Can Al Qaida be easily distinguished from the civilian population?
Observers believe the Al Qaida strike was bound to hit civilians, as they hide amongst the population to use them as human shields.
"Al Qaida is everywhere. Among families, organizations, mosques, and training camps, its almost impossible to discriminate in a strike, " said Ahmed Al Sufi, President of the Democracy Development Institute, a local NGO, based in Sana'a.
According to local sources, Al Qaida leader Mohammed Saleh Al Kazimi, who was killed in the operation, along with his four family members, was living among Al Ambor tribe and was highly respected.
Foreign and local fighters were forming a group in Al Majalah, under his leadership, and also only a few meters from his village where family members lived.
Local residents have also denied there was in fact any training camp at all there.
"There is no training camp here, Al Qaeda is walking in Sana'a and Aden and everywhere. Why does the government only strike here?" said Mukbel Mohammed Ali Al Ambori, in a telephone interview from Al Majalah.
"Mohammad Saleh Al Kazimi has the right to live with his family and relatives and cousins in Al Ambor, and if he is Al Qaida, then he should be punished alone."
"A total of 45 women and children, and more than 1000 various animals were killed from the Bedouins of Haidarah and Al Ambor," said Al Ambori, who is member of the local council of the area of Al Mahfad, which includes Al Majalah.
Did the strike deal a significant blow to Al Qaida?
Despite all criticism, the strike against Al Qaida is viewed by some analysts as the beginning of the end of at least the training activity in the country.
"The strike was strategic to rescue Yemen from becoming a safe haven for the training camps of Al Qaida," said Al Sufi.
"So, both governments should stand ready for confronting the possible retaliatory attacks from Al Qaida," he said.
"If Al Qaida is not dismantled and cleared from Abyan, Shabwa, Mareb and Al Jawf it is not only a disaster for Yemen, but for the world," warned Al Sufi.
"Al Qaida is only a tool to internationalize the conflicts inside the countries, so it must be uprooted from any country seeking security and stability."
How many killed actually belonged to Al Qaida?
The autopsies have confirmed that at least 12 dead bodies were wanted by the security authorities as Al Qaida operatives.
Mohammed Saleh Al Kazimi, Mukbel Abdullah Awadh Shiekh, Ahmed Abdullah Awadh, Methak Al Jalad, Abdullah Awadh Shaikh were confirmed dead in Al Majalah area according to an official statement.
Four others were killed in the operation implemented in Arhab, east of Sana'a province, where 8 would-be suicide bombers were planning to target Yemeni and western interests. The other four were arrested.
Two Saudi nationals, Ibrahim Al Najdi, Mohammed Rajeh Al Tharan, both wanted as Al Qaida operatives, were found among the dead bodies.
Five more foreigners, with unknown identities, were also found.
Four other Al Qaida injured men, Abdullah Salem Ali, Abdul Rahman Mohammed Kaed, Haidarh Salem Alia Fatah Al Amri, and Mohammed Ali Salem, were arrested later in a hospital where they are now having treatment under the supervision of the security authorities.
Were there other arrests made?
Inside the Yemeni capital, more than 29 Al Qaida members were arrested on the same day of these operations.
The 29 men, aged 20s, were supposed to help the 8 would-be suicide bombers of Arhab to implement their tasks against Yemeni and Western targets.
The arrests took place without any clashes as the raids were based on accurate intelligence.
The leader of Al Qaida in Arhab area, Aref Mujali, brother of Hezam Mujali who escaped the raid, was arrested in the operation.
Aref and Hezam Mujali are the sons of Yahya Mujali, an Al Qaida operative who was killed in his house in clashes with security forces in Al Rawdha area in the city of Sana'a in 2003.
