Al-Qaeda has assassinated about 60 Yemeni intelligence officers across Yemen since the beginning of 2012 in a new tactic of al-Qaeda, security sources told Xinhua.
The assassinations increased during the last months and focused on high-ranking officers.
The sources said that al-Qaeda attacks will not dissuade Yemen about its efforts in combating terrorism and cooperation with the international community.
The source said that al-Qaeda was responsible for the kiliing of Yemeni intelligence officers and military commanders including Salim Qatan, the leader of the Southern Military Region.
Yemeni analysts say that al-Qaeda failed to target Yemeni strategic faculties and it resorted to assassinate high-ranking officers as a simple option.
Most assassinations carried out against intelligence officers have occurred in Aden and Sana'a which has been experiencing alarming insecurity since the popular uprising erupted against the former regime in early 2011.
While assassinations of top intelligence officers have increased since the beginning of 2012, some groups and political forces obviously take advantage of the unrest roiling the country, Yemeni analysts affirm.
The Yemeni capital, Sana'a, and other major cities have witnessed a state of loose security as crimes of killing and weapon carrying increased after a year of pro-democracy protests that swept the country.
Leaders of political parties and ministers were frequently to subjected to assassination attempts in Sana'a and other major cities.
Yemeni political sides exchange accusations about inflaming instability and tensions in light of divisions among military units.