Yemeni Interior Ministry revealed on Tuesday that it arrested six Somali nationals suspected of having ties with al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula(AQAP).
In a statement released on its official website, Interior Ministry said that police troops managed to arrest six Somali terrorists who were fighting with Ansar al-Sharia, al-Qaeda offshoot, in the southern war-torn province of Abyan.
The detainees were then moved to the security headquarters in the port city of Aden for further investigation, the statement said.
Investigation with the suspects is still underway, added the statement.
Last week, Yemen announced that about 300 Somali fighters from Shabab al-Aslam smuggled into Yemen with the aim of reinforcing their fellow al-Qaeda terrorists.
Al-Qaeda strengthened its foothold in the southern provinces of the country, taking an advantage of the current unrest in the poorest Arab state.
On Sunday, AQAP militants shot dead an American teacher in the southern province of Taiz, underscoring USA concerns of the severity of the security situation in Yemen.
Yesterday, a tribal dignitary told Yemen Post that al-Qaeda gunmen, who kidnapped the Swiss English teacher, asked for 250 million RY ransom for releasing the hostage.
Even though, media outlets reported that the Swiss hostage was moved to Shabwa, al-Qaeda stronghold and hometown of the late Yemeni-American cleric Anwar al-Awalqi, her real whereabouts is still ambiguous.