Al-Qaida cell busted in Yemen

SANAA, Yemen, May 29 (UPI) -- The Yemen Ministry of Defense says security authorities in the capital of Sanaa have broken up an alleged terrorist cell tied to al-Qaida.

Police in Yemen have broken up what they say is an 11-member al-Qaida affiliate, according to the Yemen newspaper 26 September.

Officials say the news account released Thursday came after several days of police operations in which members of the al-Qaida offshoot, calling itself Jund Al-Yemen Brigades, were arrested.

U.S. and Italian embassies have been targeted in recent months by the alleged al-Qaida operatives. Gen. Rashed al-Alimi, Yemen vice prime minister for defense and security affairs, has not released any further information, according to Adnkronos.

After reports of the arrests were made known, Yemen officials again called on the United States to return detainees from Yemen currently being held at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention center. The suspects remain in detention for alleged ties to al-Qaida.