Al Qaeda Insurgents Blow up Yemen’s Pipeline

On Saturday, al Qaeda insurgents blew up a pipeline in Yemen, halting the nation's gas exports. The destruction of the Total pipeline, which transports gas from the central Maarib province to Belhaf port on the Arabian Sea, dealt a severe blow to the Yemeni economy, already suffering from months of protests.

Yemeni officials said the attack on France's Total gas pipeline was a retribution for the killing of the head of the media department of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in an air strike on militant bases in Yemen.

Abdu al-Janadi, deputy minister of information said, "Those are a group led by Ibrahim al-Banna, an official from the media of al Qaeda. He was an Egyptian national, and was wanted internationally. He came out with a group of al Qaeda, and went to the area of Azzan in Shabwa province"

Meanwhile, Yemeni police forces fired at thousands of anti-government protesters in Yemen's capital, Sana’a, killing at least 12 and injuring dozens of others.

The injured were sent to the hospitals near the Change Square. A hospital official said they had received 15 injured by gunshots and dozens others hurt by tear gas.

Yemenis waited for the U.N. Security Council to agree to a resolution expected to urge Saleh to hand over power under a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) peace plan.

Speaker:
Abdu al-Janadi, deputy minister of information

Voice:
Aqeel Bukhamsin