Sana’a, Yemen: A Yemeni court on Tuesday passed death sentences on two men convicted of killing security officials in the capital Sanaa, the official news agency Saba reported. It identified the two men sentenced by Sanaa’s Specialised Criminal Court of First Instance as Osama Abdul Salam Mafdal and Akram Mohammad Mafdal. The men are accused of “taking part in an armed group, using arms against the state, confronting members of the army and security forces” as well as “opening fire on two members of the security forces causing their death.” The statement didn’t say when the attack took place nor did it identify the “armed group” to which they belong.
Yemen is home to Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, whose militants, although weakened, continue to launch hit-and-run attacks on government and civilian targets across the country.
Last month, a Sanaa court sentenced six Yemenis to one and five years in prison for “belonging to Al Qaida” and plotting attacks in the country.
