Yemen has launched an offensive against al Qaeda on Tuesday. According to Reuters, Yemen has dispatched thousands of troops to take part in a campaign against al Qaeda in three provinces over the past three days, security sources said. Five suspected fighters from the terror network were detained, they said.
"The campaign is continuing in the capital and in the provinces of Shabwa and Maarib," one source told Reuters. The manhunt was also going on in the southern province of Abyan. There were no further details.
Yemen is fighting the growing threat from al Qaeda while continuing a Shi'ite revolt in the north.
Meanwhile, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said on Tuesday that his country supports entirely Yemeni government's efforts to safeguard its lands and defend its unity. Al-Faisal made the statement during a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Abul Gheit held in Sharm el-Sheikh after meeting the Egyptian President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak.
Speaking on the armed infiltrators in to the Saudi lands, al-Faisal said that "our stance is clear-cut", adding "We are defending our territories".
