Sana'a: Yemen's security services foiled an attempt by Al Qaida operatives to capture "vital" government facilities, including the local branch of Central Bank in the province of Baydha, southern Yemen, a ministry of interior statement said on Thursday. "This terrorist plot will wind up in failure. The terrorists will pay a heavy price as military and security services in the province are on the lookout to teach them a lesson."
Tense clashes between army troops and local Al Qaida operatives have surged recently, claiming the lives of many people from both sides. Local sources in the province say that Al Qaida cashed in on the resentment against the government and the US botched drone strike that killed at least 12 in a wedding convoy in December.
On January 16, at least 10 soldiers were killed when they tried to repel an attack by Al Qaida militants in the town of Radaa in the same province. Militants managed to briefly overrun Radaa in January 2012, before leaving it after tribal mediation.
In the south, thousands of pro-secession protesters went to the streets of the country's restive cities, calling for the revival of the former south Yemen state that merged with the north in 1990.
Secessionist protesters have been protesting on Thursday for years on what they call ‘Martyr's Day’ to commemorate their peers who were killed by the government.
At the same time, the Shitte Houthi supporters rallied in the streets of the capital demanding the resignation of the incumbent unity government and denouncing the assassination of Ahmad Sharafeddin in the capital on Tuesday.
Houthi spokesperson, Ali Al Bakheeti, told Gulf News on Wednesday that the Shitte group would resist any attempt to extend the terms of Mohammad Basindwah's government.
The Houthis, who battle their rival Sunni sect in many provinces, blame the government for the deterioration of security in the country.
