Yemen arrests 10 over intelligence officer's killing

Sana'a:  A total of 10 Yemeni men were arrested in Lahj province, south of Yemen, on suspicion of assassinating an intelligence officer, the Ministry of Defence said on Sunday.

The authorities have begun investigations with the men who are aged between 19-40, said the ministry in a statement published on its website.

Colonel Ali Abdul Kareem Fadhal Al Ban, the director of intelligence in the district of Tuban in Lahaj province was killed on Friday in an ambush made by gunmen after he walked out from his house in the village of Al Hamra, about 10 kilometres south of Al Huta, the capital of Lahj province.

Al Ban, aged 40, who was also in charge of the investigations with Al Qaida suspects and separatists, survived two assassination attempts earlier this year.

The government accused separatists of assassinating Colonel Al Ban.

Another security official was also assassinated last Friday in Al Mahfad area in Abyan province, south of Yemen. The security officer, Sultan Abdul Kareem Al Sharabi, the chief of the information department at the security office of Al Mahfad, was killed by three gunmen.

The local authority has opened an investigation to know who was behind the assassination, the ministry of interior said yesterday. Al Qaida claimed responsibility for many previous attacks on security forces in Abyan and Shabwah provinces.