Jail terms for six Yemeni separatists

Sana'a: Six separatists were sentenced on Sunday to jail terms ranging from five to eight years for harming national unity.

All the defendants, who are from the far eastern province of Hudhrmout, were convicted of committing sabotage acts with the aim of separating the south from the north, which united in 1990.

Meanwhile, a separatist group in the south threatened on Sunday to kill two soldiers they had kidnapped on Saturday if the authorities did not release two of their comrades who were arrested on murder charges.

Taher Tamah, leader of the armed group, said the execution of the two soldiers would be ‘legal' after the 48-hour deadline he had given to authorities to release his comrades expired.

Tamah is one of the 50 armed separatists whose names were published on Saturday in the wanted list for murders and sabotage acts.