23 al-Qaeda Escape in Yemen
SANAA (Reuters) – Twenty-three suspected al Qaeda members broke out of a prison in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Friday, a state-run Web site said.
The September 26 site (www.26sep.net) quoted unnamed sources as saying the group escaped from a central prison run by the state security forces “in the past few hours”.
The Web site, affiliated with Yemen’s armed forces, did not give further details and Yemeni officials were not immediately available to comment.
Unsurprising. Suspected or convicted?
JP The men were sentenced last year on various charges of terrorism, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press. They were being held at a detention center for military intelligence in San`a.
No further details were available.
The escape came a day before the trial of top al-Qaida suspect Mohammed Hamdi al-Ahdal and 14 others charged with involvement in terror operations in Yemen, particularly the 2000 suicide attack on the USS Cole.
They escaped from the military intelligence, the PSO also unsurprising.
In a tunnel and including a previously excaped Cole bomber per the comments. Update Rabeie and Badawi
Update 14 on the trial including an IED maker- “Another defendant admitted to the court that he was tasked with manufacturing electronic equipment to blow up explosives by remote control and timed explosive devices.” Wonder how long they’ll be in?
