Interior Minister Mutahar Al-Masri said on Thursday the authorities had arrested more than 19 suspected Al-Qaeda operatives in Marib and turned 11 other suspects in Hadramout to interrogators.

Two of the arrested were handed over by tribes in Marib in a sign of good cooperation between the authorities and the people on fighting terrorism, sabotage and crimes, he said.

The authorities also handed tribes a list of wanted suspects who have two options: to surrender or be raided and arrested, he noted, as he said that the house of the killer of an army officer and two of his bodyguards in the province in June was raided and Hussein Al-Aqili arrested.

Moreover, Al-Masri revealed that the Interior Ministry had completed the security cordon around Marib and Jawf Provinces in cooperation with tribes.

The cordon will reduce attacks carried out by Al-Qaeda including vandalism targeting power lines, oil pipelines and military commanders, officials and social figures, he made clear, praising the cooperation of the tribes.

Separately, the minister said when he appeared in Parliament and answered questions this week that 254 security were killed and 1939 others injured in 2009-2010 violence blamed on the secessionist movement in the south.

Furthermore, he highlighted crimes including murders, drugs trade and human trafficking and trade and the said the authorities had controlled 94 per cent of the crimes throughout the republic.