NEW AIR STRIKES KILL 30 AL-QAEDA SUSPECTS IN YEMEN

SANA'A, Dec. 24 (Saba) - Yemeni Air forces carried out early on
Thursday an air strike in Rafdh area of al-Said districts in Shabwa
governorate killing about 30 al-Qaeda suspects from Yemeni and
foreign nationalities.

An official source in the Supreme Security Committee said that the
strike targeted a hideout of al-Qaeda, in which the al-Qaeda
members have been holding a meeting attended by the terrorists Nasir
al-Whaishi and Said al-Shihri, Saudi national.

According to the source, al-Qaeda meeting was to plan implementing
a number of terrorist operations against Yemeni and foreign
interests, including important economic facilities.

Al-Qaeda was plotting retaliatory operations to the last Thursday
raids in Sana'a and Abyan governorates.

Hunting the terrorist is unending, the source said, renewing its
caution not to harbor and support any terrorists.

The source also warned the citizens not to exist near the terrorists
or their hideouts to avoid being harmed while attacking those
terrorists.

Interior Ministry has ordered its bodies and offices in all
governorates to raise security alert and tighten defense procedures
at the important facilities and vital interests all over the country
in anticipation of any castigatory operations.

The precautionary measures came after the anti-terrorism troops
launched in the early hours of Thursday air and ground raids against
al-Qaeda hideouts and training sites in Abyan in the south and in
Sana'a in the north killing and arresting about 51 al Qaeda
suspects, including foreigners.

Between 24-30 plotters were killed and caught in Abyan in the south,
four killed and four arrested in Arahab district north of the
capital, and 13 were seized in the capital of Sana'a.

AF/AF