Yemeni Militants Kill 11, Free Prisoners

A group of heavily armed militants in military uniforms stormed a Yemeni intelligence headquarters Saturday, killing 11 and reportedly freeing several prisoners. The gunmen were suspected to be local al-Qaida members. The attack fanned U.S. concerns over the Yemeni government’s ability to combat a growing al-Qaida threat. –JCL

Associated Press:

Heavily armed militants wearing military uniforms on Saturday stormed the Yemeni intelligence service’s southern headquarters, killing at least 11 people, security officials said.

An eyewitness outside the facility in the southern port city of Aden, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) south of the capital, San’a, said the gunmen, suspected to be from the local branch of al-Qaida, freed several prisoners.

Officials declined to comment on whether any detainees had been freed.

The brazen prison break highlights the challenges Yemen’s U.S.-backed government faces in battling increasingly bold al-Qaida elements that have found refuge in this impoverished country at the tip of the Arabian Peninsula.

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