Yemeni security arrested Somalis suspected of being al-Qaeda members

Friday, October 30, 2009

Security authorities arrested six Somalis suspected of being members of al-Qaeda. The Ministry of Interior announced that they arrested the six suspects in the coastal directorate of Mocha, in the Taiz governorate, 300 kilometers southwest of Sana’a.

A Somali national named Noor Omer was arrested along with five others. Noor is considered to be a wanted member of al-Qaeda, the Interior Ministry said.
The Yemeni media said that the suspect was arrested when a security patrol in Mocha was inspecting a dead body of a man from the Horn of Africa discovered by the people in Jabal al-Nar.

The media disclosed that a laptop was found on the suspect, in addition to a seal from the Manhal Charitable Society in Mogadishu.
The Mocha security authorities are investigating the six Somalis who were caught inside the Fatima Mosque, which include the al-Qaeda suspect, Omer.

The arrests mark the Yemeni authorities' efforts to tighten their security measures to prevent the flow of Somali extremists into Yemen. A difficult task as refugees arrive almost daily to the coasts of Yemen.

Source: Yemen Observer, Oct 30, 2009