Yemen Army Officer, 2 Al-Qaida Militants Killed

By AHMED AL-HAJ Associated Press

SANAA, Yemen July 18, 2012 (AP)

Two al-Qaida militants and an army officer have been killed in separate incidents, a Yemeni military official said Wednesday,

Another official claimed an Iranian spy operation has been discovered, and Yemen's president called for Iran to refrain from interfering in his country.

In Sanaa, an army officer supporting former President Ali Abdullah Saleh was killed while leading an attack on the house of a general who defected to the opposition last year during the uprising against Saleh.

The clash showed an undercurrent of tribal and political tensions, though Saleh has been replaced.

In southern Yemen, armed tribesmen ambushed a group of al-Qaida militants, killing two and wounding three, the official said.

The clash took place in an area seized by the army and tribesmen last month in heavy fighting with al-Qaida militants. Al-Qaida took control there during last year's internal political turmoil.

Also Wednesday, a security official said that an Iranian revolutionary guard officer has been arrested for allegedly running a spy network in Yemen, and several members of the network were also arrested.

He said the ring leader entered Yemen with false identity documents, but an investigation uncovered his identity as a Revolutionary Guard officer who has been operating in Yemen for some time.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity according to regulations.

President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi later Wednesday called on Iran to stay out of Yemen's internal affairs.

He called on Iran to "take into consideration the delicate circumstances the country is passing through ... We say from here to leave Yemen to mind its own affairs and that is enough for now." Hadi spoke during a military cadet graduation ceremony, according to the official SABA news agency.