Al-Qaeda Threatens to Launch More Attacks; Demand Releasing Fellow Detainees

In an effort to pressurize the authorities and set their fellows free, Al-Qaeda wing in Yemen threatened to launch more attacks on foreign facilities and interests, especially oil industry which has been recently a target for their terrorist operations.

Published on al-ekhlaas.net – a website used for telecasting news and letters of Al-Qaeda organizations, the arrested Al-Qaeda suspects in Aden's Al-Mansoura Central Prison sent a letter to their fellow Al-Qaeda leaders of Yemen, detailing their situation and how they are treated by the Political Security affiliates.

The letter petitioned Al-Qaeda leaders Nasser Al-Wuhishi and Hamza Al-Qa'aiti to work for their release, hinting that they are subjected to constant torture by security officers.

"To the courageous lion Abu Basir Nasser Al-Wuhishi, your sons at Aden's Central Prison are subject to severe torture," said the letter.

It added that security guards prevented visits of their relatives or any food they bring with them, demanding Al-Qu'aiti and Al-Wuhishi to take revenge.

Early this month, Al-Qu'aiti, in a video recording, threatened to wage more attacks on the government, unless the Political Security set his fellow Al-Qaeda members free.

Challenging security leaders, he further stressed that he will not forget them and promised to have them released very soon.

Following Sayun's terrorist attack, authorities launched an arrest campaign that targeted all Al-Qaeda suspects in Sana'a, Aden, Hadramout and Mareb.

Yemen has been a scene for several Al-Qaeda attacks, the last of which was waged on the Central Security Compound in Hadramout's Sayun city. The attack left 18 victims dead and injured.

A recently established radical Islamic group known as Islamic Jihad Organization, a new wing of Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attack, stressing that more operations are underway in retaliation for killing several Al-Qaeda elements by security and army soldiers.

Armed men, allegedly from Al-Qaeda, attacked on January 18 a convoy of Belgian tourists in Hadramout's Al-Hajreen area, killing two Belgian tourists and wounding others.