Al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) is suspected of being ultimately responsible for an attack on a car used by members of the US embassy on their way to or from a restaurant in the diplomatic area. Media reports say a Jordanian, who was arrested at the scene, had exploded a satchel or grenade under the car (which was armoured). No Americans were injured.
The Jordanian had false identity documents and weapons in his vehicle. This was a timely reminder — not that Western residents need one – of the risks even in Sana'a. Earlier in 2010 there were attacks on the British ambassador and then the charge d'affaires. The AQAP attackers have not been arrested (though the first attack was by a suicide bomber).
There was a hit-and-run attack against a soldier in Abyan by a terrorist using a motorbike. This is the 28th such attack in the past few months and comes after efforts to place restrictions on the use of motorbikes. AQAP appears to have been responsible for an attack near Zingibar in Abyan, leading to the death of two soldiers manning a checkpoint, and a failed attack on a senior security officer in Abyan. He was on a list of targets AQAP distributed in September.
For more news and expert analysis about Yemen, please see Yemen Focus.
© 2010 Menas Associates
No comments:
Post a Comment