Yemen: Al-Qa'ida raids a prison freeing militants

On Wednesday 22nd June, armed Al-Qa'ida fighters raided a prison in southern Yemen, freeing dozens of suspected militants, killing one security guard and wounding two others.

Armed with heavy machine guns the militants fought their way through the guards. The prison in Al-Mukalla, the capital of Hadramawt province, is said to house more than a 100 Qa'ida members, 58 of whom have been tried in court and have received sentences.

Spokesman for the civil society organisations in Hadramawt, Nasser Bakazzuz, has accused Yemeni authorities of assisting Al-Qa'ida with the raid and subsequent freeing of militants.

Speaking about it Bakazzuz said, “The regime is living its last days and wants to create chaos in Hadramawt province ... there was no attack by Al-Qa'ida on the jail to free prisoners.”

Just days ago Yemeni troops killed 12 suspected Al-Qa'ida militants near the southern town of Zinjibar. The rebels were targeted while planting roadside bombs. It is estimated that at least a 100 soldiers have been killed and 260 injured since the violence in Zinjibar erupted more than three weeks ago.

Despite President Ali Abdullah Saleh's departure for Saudi Arabia, where he recently underwent surgery for injuries sustained during an attack on his compound in Sana'a, Yemen remains split between government loyalists in the south and tribesmen and renegade military units in the north. There a fears that the situation is getting out of control and could potentially lead to a civil war.

Sources: BBC News, The Guardian, AFP

For more news and expert analysis about Yemen, please see Yemen Focus.

More armed attacks in southern Yemen

Groups of gunmen have attacked government buildings in the southern town of Houta, inciting violent clashes that have killed one policeman. The latest attacks follows similar raids, last month, which lead to the capture of two southern cities, Zinjibar and Jaar.

Yemeni officials say the Al-Qai'da is taking advantage of the security vacuum in the country due to the on-going political turmoil. Southern Yemen is a hotbed for Islamic militants, and a branch of Yemeni terrorist network, Al Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula.

According to several witnesses, the militants, took over the central bank and a police station, along with other key buildings in the city of Houta, the capital of Lahij province.

Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh is currently undergoing treatment in Saudi Arabia for injuries sustained in a rocket attack on his compound in Sana'a earlier this month. It is yet unclear whether or not Saleh will return to Yemen – a country plagued by massive anti-regime protests since February. It is estimated that more than 200 people have been killed during the fighting.

Two weeks ago, the rebels took over parts of the capital of Abyan, the province to the southeast of Lahij. In the city of Zinjibar, security forces continue to battle militants, forcing hundreds of civilians to flee to the port city of Aden.

Sources: BBC News, Boston, Seattle Post Intelligencer

For more news and expert analysis about Yemen, please see Yemen Focus.

Yemen: Twelve killed by suspected Al-Qai'da militants

Yemen's Defence Ministry has said that at least 12 security troops have been killed by suspected Al-Qai'da militants in the southern province of Abyan. An unnamed official in the region said government troops were making their way to Anyan's capital Zinjibar, and were captured by militants.

The Ministry's statement said the troops were killed in gun-battle in the province's Doves and Kod areas, but gave no further details.

In related news, at least 100 have been injured after supporters of Yemen's embattled leader, President Ali Abdullah Saleh, fired into the air to celebrate the reportedly successful surgery he underwent in Saudi Arabia.

Security officials have said that at least 40 private cars were damaged by gunfire early on Thursday 09th June. Among the injured were 20 people from Sana'a's square, the epicentre of anti-government demonstrations.

Saleh underwent surgery on Monday 06th June to remove shards of wood from his chest and treat burns on his face from an attack on his Sana'a compound. There is still uncertainty about the seriousness of his injuries. They are not life-threatening but some reports say it will take him weeks to recover. It is, however, far from certain that he will ever return to Yemen.

Sources: Seattle PI, The Associated Press, Atlanta Journal Constitution, AP

For more news and expert analysis about Yemen, please see Yemen Focus.

Iraq: At least 27 dead in a bomb attack in Kirkuk

At least 27 people were killed and many more injured when three bombs targeting security forces exploded near a police station in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk. According to several reports, two of the bombs detonated in quick succession, killing police officers who rushed outside after the first explosion.

An unnamed Iraqi official attributed the attacks to the Al-Qai'da. Witnesses have said that the first bomb was set off in the police car park, and was extinguished by fire-fighters.

AFP quoted a police officer, Sherzad Kamil, as saying: “I ran out from the headquarters after I heard the first bomb. I went with my colleague to check the parking lot but as we arrived, a huge bomb went off…I fell on the ground and saw several of my colleagues killed and wounded."

Shortly after first two explosions, a third bomb went off reportedly targeting a convoy of senior police officials, injuring several people. According to Iraqi authorities, at least 70 people were wounded during the explosions.

The police chief of Kirkuk province, Maj Gen Jamal Tahir, said the attacks were most likely perpetrated by the Al-Qai'da.

Sources: BBC News, Los Angeles Times, CNN, AFP

For more news and expert analysis about Iraq, please see Iraq Focus.

A suicide car bomber kills 48 people in Shi'a area of Baghdad

A suicide car bomber targeting a public funeral, in the predominantly Shi'a area of Baghdad, has killed 48 people and left 121 seriously injured. According reports, the mourners attacked the police, as it arrived in the north-western Shula district, for failing to provide sufficient protection.

It is thought that the attack may have been masterminded by a Sunni terrorist group, linked to the Al-Qai'da, known for attacking public gatherings. The latest attack on Shi'a Muslims comes after a number of bombing killed dozens of Shi'a pilgrims during a religious celebration in the holy city of Karbala last week. Over the course of the last month, a spate of bombings against pilgrims and Iraqi security officers has killed more than 170 people.

Eyewitness reports suggested that the police fired into the air to disperse the crowds, but came under attack from armed gunmen. In order to stop the situation escalating further, the military was deployed to the town to restore order.

The country's security is a prevailing issue, magnified by the withdrawal of US troops, that shall present a challenge to Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki and his coalition government.

Sources: BBC News, Los Angeles Times , FT, Miami Herald, The Independent

For more news and expert analysis about Iraq, please see Iraq Focus.