Al-Qaeda launches news agency on Facebook

By Fatik al-Rodaini

SANA'A, May 14, 2012- Ansar al-Sharia, a terror group linked to al-Qaeda launched on the Facebook news agency, broadcasting the daily news of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, AQAP.

According to the wall of the agency, the page established on April 14, 2012 and named as Madad News Agency, showing the news of the current battles between the Yemeni troops and the group.

The agency showed headlines and breaking news of the group.

"Madad News Agency reported on a revenge attack carried out by Ansar al-Shariah in Lahaj province of Yemen, and the group's visit to child victims of a US drone strike,'' the well-known SITE Intelligence Group said on Monday on its website.

22 al-Qaeda militants killed in Yemen's Abyan

By Fatik al-Rodaini

SANA'A, May 14, 2012- Yemen Defense Ministry's website reported that at least 22 Ansar al-Sharia militants along with 6 Yemeni soldiers were killed on Monday during clashes in Yemen's southern province of Abyan, where fierce battles have been taking place for more than a month between militants linked to al-Qaeda and Yemeni troops backed by tribesmen.

The website said that at least 22 al-Qaeda militants were killed over the last two days in the clashes in the city of Zinjibar, south Yemen, while 6 soldiers were killing, including an army officer.

Clashes between the two sides left six troops dead on Monday, according to the website. The military, backed by heavy artillery, has recently pushed into Zinjibar and regained control over some parts of the city.

Meanwhile, Yemeni troops moved towards Jaar city of Abyan, regaining control over Ba Taiss city.

On Monday, at least 16 al-Qaeda fighters were killed in a Yemeni airstrike in Abyan, while six soldiers were killed in clashes with fighters inside Zinjibar in the country's troubled south where the army is trying to uproot the group.

Yemeni war planes struck an al-Qaeda hideout about 70km from Zinjibar, the provincial capital of Abyan, which armed groups captured last year.

The bombardment killed at least 10 fighters, the officials said.

The army also fired missiles at a moving vehicle on the outskirts of another southern town, Lawder, killing six fighters inside it, the officials said.

In related news, Yemen's Interior Ministry reported at least ten al-Qaeda militants were killed, amongst two Saudi nationals along with Egyptian national, in an air raid conducted by Yemeni forces two days ago against al-Qaeda militants in Mareb and Shabwa provinces.

The ministry said the two Saudis were centered in Al-Wadi district of Abyan, pointing out that the raid came simultaneously with a military campaign conducted by the army against stronghold of Al-Qaeda militants in some towns of Abyan.

One killed in bomb explosion in Sana'a

By Fatik al-Rodaini

SANA'A, May 14, 2012- According to a security source, at least one person was killed and three others were wounded, one of them in critical condition, in a bomb explosion in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a.

The source stated that unidentified gunman threw on Monday evening a hand grenade in al-Zomor market , eastern of the capital, Sana'a, killing one and wounding three others.

No more details were reported.

Ashton condemns attack against Bulgarian Ambassador to Yemen

By Stanislava Gaydazhieva

May 14, 2012

Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the Commission, issued a statement on 13 May, condemning the attack against the Bulgarian Ambassador to Yemen, Boris Borisov.

In the official announcement, Ashton criticized the kidnap attempt and expressed ‘the sincere solidarity of the European Union’.

Furthermore, the high representative called on the Yemeni authorities ‘to do their utmost to investigate the incident’ because it represented further evidence of the fragile security situation in Yemen including Sana'a.

In addition, Ashton reiterated the unequivocal support of the European Union to President Hadi, the National Consensus Government and the implementation of the GCC initiative.

The Bulgarian foreign minister, Nikolay Mladenov, also issued a statement in connection to the kidnapping attempt and violence against Boris Borisov, Ambassador of the country to Yemen.

He named the attempt ‘shocking’ and pointed out that ‘attacks on diplomats are against the basic principles of international relations’.

Moreover, Minister Mladenov also stated that Bulgaria ‘expects the Yemeni authorities to take urgent measures to uncover the perpetrators of this outrage and to prevent the possibility of such incidents in future’.

Interestingly, the Bulgarian foreign minister also said that ‘political and tribal divisions in the country should be solved by means of political dialogue and not through violence’,  thus conveying the message that very probably Ambassador Borisov was to become a victim of warring tribes.

Ambassador Borisov and his wife were attacked by four unknown men on one of the main streets in Sana’a on 12 May, while passing by in the Embassy’s official car. The envoy managed to resist the numerous hits and threatening with a knife and took control over the car and, in this way, preventing his kidnapping.

Yemeni raids kill 16 al-Qaeda militants in south

Sana'a, May 14, 2012-(AP) Yemeni military officials say fresh government raids have killed at least 16 al-Qaida militants in the troubled south where the army is trying to uproot the terror group.

The officials say military warplanes on Monday pounded an al-Qaida hideout about 70 kilometers (44 miles) from the southern city of Zinjibar, the provincial capital of Abyan. The bombardment killed at least 10 militants.

The army also fired missiles at a moving vehicle, killing six militants inside it on the outskirts of another southern town, Lawder.

The town was controlled by al-Qaida last year until its residents drove out the militants, who have since been trying to stage a comeback.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Al-Qaeda attacks gas pipeline in Yemen's Shabwa

By Fatik al-Rodaini

Sana'a, May 14, 2012- Ansar al-Sharia, an Islamic group linked to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula attacked on Monday a gas pipeline in the Yemeni city of Shabwa.

The group assaulted the gas pipeline in Yemen's southeastern province of Shabwa on Sunday night, which transfers LNG from central Mareb province to an export facility at Balhaf on the Gulf of Aden.

The fresh attack is the fourth against oil and gas facilities in the restive province of Shabwa within two months.

Two days ago, a gas exporting pipeline was attacked by a saboteur in Yemen's eastern province of Mareb.

Security sources in Mareb said that a saboteur blew up a gas pipeline in al-Dmashiqa district of al-Wadi city.

Al-Qaeda militants blew up a gas exporting pipeline for the second times during the last month in Yemen's southeast province of Shabwa.

The sources reported that the pipeline transferring liquefied natural gas from Yemen's Mareb province to Belhaf terminal was bombed in al-Akla district of Shabwa province, stopping the country's export of gas.