Fifteen suspected Al-Qa'ida terrorists have surrendered to the Albyan province governor. The surrenders followed a meeting of Gov Ahmed Al-Maisari and several tribal sheikhs in the Albyan provence in southern Yemen. Al-Maisari told news reporters the militants decided to turn themselves in after being persuaded by the tribal sheikhs.
Yemen has seen an increase in terrorist activity since the establishment of al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula in 2009. The surrender comes shortly before the Gulf Cup soccer tournament, expected to be attended by teams from Iraq and six other Gulf states in late November and early December. Yemen's government is keen to show it is able to maintain order in the country after a series of criticisms from its neighbors.
Over the weekend, Yemeni security forces including 1,000 soldiers launched an intervention in the Shabwa province, thought to be a safe haven for al-Qa'ida terrorists. The operation was prompted by al-Maisari's ultimatum to local tribes to either "eradicate" al-Qa'ida operatives themselves or the army would move in to the region.
Source: CNN
For more news and expert analysis about Yemen, please see Yemen Focus.
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