Yemen troops killed Saudi bound Al-Qaeda suspects who were dressed as women

Yemeni troops today shot dead five Al Qaida suspects disguised as women who fired at a soldier during a checkpoint inspection of their Saudi-bound bus.

Another suspect was wounded along with the driver in the shooting at Harad, a town 15 kilometres from the Saudi border.  Two of those killed were Saudis.  All six had been dressed in black robes and wore the hijab, a face covering veil worn by women in Yemen.

 

An official said, “As one of the soldiers climbed on board the bus for an inspection, one of the suspects opened fire and wounded him, prompting shooting from other soldiers at the checkpoint.’’

A suicide belt and arms were also found on board the bus, and the wounded suspect and driver were being questioned.

The men are suspected of having affiliation with Al Qaeda and were heading north towards Yemen’s border with Saudi Arabia.

Security forces in Yemen rarely carry out inspections of vehicles carrying women in the conservative, deeply-tribal Muslim country.

In July, six Al Qaeda militants attacked a Saudi border post with Yemen, killing five security officers on both sides.

The kingdom’s interior ministry said six of them were Saudi nationals and two of them blew themselves up.

Saudi Arabia, which launched a huge crackdown on Al Qaida following a spate of deadly attacks in 2003-2006, is building a three-metre high fence along its southern frontier with Yemen to counter illegal crossings and arms smuggling.