Yemen: 7 Saudis among militants killed by US

Associated Press

SANAA, Yemen

At least seven suspected militants from Saudi Arabia were among the suspected al-Qaida members killed in Yemen in a recent wave of U.S. drone strikes, senior Yemeni officials said Friday, suggesting that Saudis are increasingly crossing the border to carry funds or seek terrorist training.

With several U.S. diplomatic posts closed temporarily in Africa and the Middle East this week amid a global alert about terrorism, Washington evacuated most of its personnel from Lahore, Pakistan’s second-largest city. The U.S., along with Britain, also flew diplomatic staff out of Yemen’s capital of Sanaa this week.

The U.S. said Friday evening that its embassy in Sanaa will remain closed while the other posts, except for the one in Lahore, reopen Sunday or Monday.

Since July 27, drone attacks in Yemen’s southern and central provinces have killed 34 militants suspected of being members of the country’s al-Qaida branch, known as al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, security officials have said.

On Thursday alone, the officials said U.S. drones conducted three airstrikes, killing 12 militants.

The drone strikes occurred in areas where the terrorist group enjoys protection from anti-government tribes or hides in mountainous areas.

The terror network bolstered its operations in Yemen more than a decade after key Saudi operatives fled here after a major crackdown in their homeland.