Two French nationals among militants held in Yemen

Aden, May 10 (IANS) Two armed terrorists, holding French citizenships, have been captured by Yemen's special security forces in Hadramout province, an official said Friday.

"Special security troops detained two terrorists of Tunisian origin but holding French citizenship and identified as Mourad Abdullah and Taha al-Esawi in Hadramout late Thursday night," the official said.

"The police moved after receiving information from intelligence officers at Hadramout's airport ... the French terrorists were attempting to escape through the airport but they failed," the official added.

Initial investigations showed that "they were involving in an Al Qaeda terrorist cell and participated in several terrorism activities in Hadramout province".

Meanwhile, "army killed Temor al-Dagestani, an Al Qaeda explosive expert and bomb maker, during a fight in Shabwa", state media reported. A local Saudi commander of the militant group named Turki Abdul-Rahman was also killed by the army.

The Yemeni armed forces, backed by mechanised battalions, air force and special forces, have killed, wounded and captured dozens of local and foreign suspected Al Qaeda militants during the offensives that started two weeks ago.

Commanders of the Yemen-based Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) have vowed to hit back.

The AQAP, known locally as Ansar al-Sharia, emerged in January 2009. It is considered the most strategic threat to the Yemeni government and neighbouring oil-rich Saudi Arabia.