SANA'A: As Yemen is bracing itself for the return of President Ali Abdullah Saleh ahead of the country's presidential elections, which should confirm the rise to power of Vice-President Abdu Rabbo Mansour Hadi after a year of popular uprising and bloodshed, further clashes in the country's southern territories are reminding officials that the threat of al-Qaeda remains an ever-present reality. Local officials in Lahj told Bikyamasr.com that a senior Yemeni security official had been shot dead while traveling back to his residence. Officers under cover of anonymity revealed that a man on a motorcycle suddenly opened fire on Major Alkadr al-Humaidy, the Head of the Criminal Investigation Department in al-Houta, the regional capital of Lahj, leaving him dead. According to initial findings the authorities are leaning towards al-Qaeda, with officials stressing that the attack bears the group's trademark and coincides with its campaign against Yemen security services. Despite many claims made by the government and security analysts that al-Qaeda's abilities to do harm had been severely hampered by successful rounds of assassinations against their leaders, the group is proving harder to eradicate than forecasted. With its guerilla tactics and surprise attacks on officials, al-Qaeda's reign of terror is continuing in the southern provinces of Yemen. Troubling statements from al-Shabab, al-Qaeda branch in Somalia announcing that it was sending its fighters across the Red Sea to increase their “brothers' ranks” in Yemen led to a tightening in security with the government fearing that the terror group will try to prevent the coming presidential elections from taking place. In a meeting with foreign diplomats to Yemen on Wednesday, Hadi reaffirmed his government's position towards combating terrorism. “We will not negotiate or seek compromise with terrorist groups… and our battles will continue to eliminate them with all possible ways,” he was quoted by official Saba news agency as saying. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/Qp8ho Tags: Al Qaeda, Lahj, Militants, Violence Section: Latest News, Yemen
