Al-Qaida continues to advance on Yemeni capital
The takeover of Rada, 130 kilometres south-east of Sanaa, was the latest in a series of towns and cities — until now in the south and east — to fall as al-Qaida takes advantage of a central government weakened by months of protests.
Several sources in the town said more than 1,000 al-Qaida gunmen invaded Rada, which is within striking distance of a strategic highway connecting Sanaa with the south and southwest.
“Al-Qaida has taken over the town and is now the de facto power there,” a local official said on condition of anonymity. “The government’s security forces have retreated to their bases and militants are now manning the checkpoints in and out of the town.”
The official said the militants had also seized Rada’s central prison and police headquarters. The extremists also took over the intelligence HQ.
According to a local tribal chief, more than 100 prisoners were released, “including members of al-Qaida ”. Two soldiers guarding the prison were killed.
“Armed terrorist elements” broke into “the Rada central prison helping a group of prisoners held on criminal charges escape,” defence ministry news website 26sep.net reported.
Two people were killed later during an exchange of fire between gunmen and al-Qaida in a central market area, one official said.
A government official also said that “10 policemen” were abducted.
Residents said extremists were patrolling the town in vehicles carrying al-Qaida’s flag — black with “There is no god but God” printed in white — and pictures of Ayman al-Zawahiri, the network’s leader.
The takeover began late on Sunday and was completed by dawn yesterday without significant resistance from security forces, tribal officials said. Tribesmen have accused the government of complacency and said that, despite repeated warnings, the government did little to prevent Rada’s fall.
“We’ve been warning the authorities about the al-Qaida threat for months. We told them that their actions and behaviour pointed to their intentions to take over,” tribal leader Sheikh Ammar Al-Teiri told AFP. “The government has no role here any more.”
Teiri said local tribesmen decided to join forces and help protect the city from al-Qaida , “but they showed up in such force it became clear that, in this town at least, they were stronger than the state.”
The takeover of Rada, in Al-Bayda province, was accompanied by what appears to be the formal appointment of a local “emir”, or prince, to govern the newly seized territory. Tribal officials said the post went to Tareq al-Dahab, a brother-in-law of slain US-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaqi who was killed in a suspected US drone strike in September.
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