Sana'a: A senior security official died after being seriously injured in an assassination attempt carried out by Al Qaida suspects in Mareb province east of Yemen, an official statement said on Friday.
"Colonel Mohammad Fare'e, deputy chairman of the criminal investigations in Mareb province, died from injuries on Friday afternoon in the hospital of police in Sana'a," the statement read. On Thursday a group of gunmen believed to be Al Qaida operatives, seriously injured Fare'e when they opened fire on him while he was leaving his house in Mareb. Fare'e is the director charged with fighting drug-related crime in Mareb province.
Explosive belt
Colonel Fare'e is the second security official to be assassinated this year in Mareb province, and the fifth since 2007. Al Qaida has been accused in each of the assassinations. Meanwhile, security officials said yesterday in a statement that they had arrested two Al Qaida suspects in Abayn province.
Police said Jihad Abdullah Fakeerah was arrested with an explosive belt in his possession while driving to the town of Lawdar.
The statement said Fakeerah had admitted he was on his way to carry out a suicide operation with orders from the Al Qaida leader Alawi Al Saqqaf.
