Al-Qaeda militants attack Yemeni officials - report

November 4 2011

Al-Qaeda militants were believed to be behind an attack that targeted a member of Yemen's consultative council and an army colonel in the southern Yemeni province of Abyan, Arab media reported on Thursday.

The two men were wounded when their vehicle came under fire while they were heading towards the capital Sanaa, Doha-based Al Jazeera television said.

Militants, suspected of belonging to al-Qaeda, opened fire with a barrage of bullets at the car of Mohammed al-Haithami Ashal, wounding him in the leg, the broadcaster said.

Colonel Ahmed Naser Ashal, who was in the same car, received a bullet in the head, it added without adding further details.

The Abyan province is known to be a hotbed for Muslim extremists who belong to al-Qaeda.

Yemen has been gripped since January by violence between forces loyal to Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh and anti-regime protesters who are calling for his ouster.

The international community has expressed fears that the ongoing unrest in Yemen has paved the way for al-Qaeda to take advantage of the situation. - Sapa-dpa