3 al-Qaida suspects detained in SE Yemen

Yemeni armed forces backed by pro-government militiamen detained three suspected al-Qaida members in the turbulent southeastern province of Shabwa on Tuesday, a military official said.

"The armed forces managed to detain three suspected al-Qaida gunmen and cleared about four improvised explosive devices during a military operation against terrorists' hideouts in Azzan area of Shabwa," the official said on condition of anonymity.

"Engineers of the military bomb disposal unit found and safely cleared more than four improvised explosive devices in hideouts and trenches in Gul-Raida and Azzan areas in Shabwa," the military source said.

A provincial security official said that "the captured terrorists were transferred by intelligence officers to the 3rd Military Region headquarters for questioning." "The military operations are still ongoing as hundreds of soldiers continue to sweep different regions in Shabwa," the source added.

During the past few days, al-Qaida gunmen launched several armed attacks in retaliation for recent government operations against suspected al-Qaida strongholds throughout the country.

The al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), also known locally as Ansar al-Sharia, has vowed to hit back in Yemen's main cities, including the capital Sanaa.

The AQAP, which emerged in January 2009, is considered to be the most strategic threat to the Yemeni government and neighboring oil-rich Saudi Arabia. Endi