Yemeni security officials say al-Qaida militants seize
full control of town south of capital
By Associated Press,
SANAA, Yemen — Al-Qaida militants seized full control of a town south
of the Yemeni capital on Monday, overrunning army positions, storming
the local prison and freeing at least 150 inmates, security officials
said.
The capture of Radda in Bayda province, some 100 miles (160
kilometers) south of Sanaa, underscores the growing strength of al-Qaida
in Yemen as it continues to take advantage of the weakness of a central
government struggling to contain nearly a year of massive
anti-government protests.
The opposition has accused President Ali
Abdullah Saleh, who is to step down this month in line with a power
transfer deal, of allowing the militants to overrun the city to bolster
his claims that he must remain in power to secure the country against
the rising power of Islamist militants.
Security officials said
the militants threw a security ring around Radda, preventing residents
from leaving or entering, and killed two soldiers and wounded a third in
clashes with army troops.
The fighters pushed into the town from
several points they had captured over the weekend, including an ancient
castle that overlooks the town, a school and a mosque. They freed
150-200 inmates, including an unspecified number of militants loyal to
al-Qaida. The officials said some of the freed inmates joined the
militants after they were given arms.
The militants seized weapon
caches and vehicles from the security headquarters after killing two
soldiers while the rest of the soldiers fled.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.
Monday’s attack prompted stores and schools in Radda to close.
Bayda
province is a key transit route between the capital and Yemen’s
southern provinces where al-Qaida-linked militants have already seized
control of a swath of territory and towns in Abyan province.
An
Associated Press photographer who visited Radda on Sunday said the
militants were armed with rocket-propelled grenades, automatic rifles
and other weapons. He quoted residents as saying the black al-Qaida
banner has been raised atop the mosque they captured over the weekend.
The security officials estimated the number of militants who attacked the town on Monday at around 200.
Yemen’s opposition accused Saleh’s regime of allowing the militants to take Radda unopposed.
“We are surprised by the silence of the security forces,” said
opposition activist Abel-Rahman al-Rashid, who lives in Radda. “They
have not moved, which only means that this is all arranged to spark
chaos.”
Some tribal leaders accused Saleh of giving the “green light” to the militants to overrun the city.
The
United States long considered Saleh a necessary ally in the fight
against Yemen’s active al-Qaida branch, which has been linked to terror
attacks on U.S. soil and is believed to be one of the international
terror organization’s most dangerous franchises. The U.S. withdrew its
support last summer and said he should step down.
Islamist
militants began seizing territory in Abyan province last spring,
solidifying their control over the town of Jaar in April before taking
the provincial capital, Zinjibar, in May.
Yemeni security forces
have been trying unsuccessfully to push them out since then in fierce
fighting that has caused many casualties on both sides. The conflict has
forced tens of thousands of civilians from Zinjibar and the surrounding
area to flee, many to the port city of Aden.
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