Yemen claims further AQAP success

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SANAA, Yemen, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- Yemeni security forces targeted a member of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula in Marib province that authorities said was killed in an earlier raid.

Sources to the official Saba news agency said Yemeni fighter jets targeted Ayad al-Shabwani, a leader of AQAP, in Marib province.

The source told the news agency Marib militants were suspected of launching attacks on government forces "and standing behind many of the killings and terrorism."

Yemeni officials said they killed Shabwani in attacks last week along with five other AQAP leaders. There were no confirmed reports on the latest raid. Anonymous sources Monday said security forces captured Said al-Shihri, AQAP's deputy leader who was included on Washington's terrorist list this week.

The Yemen Observer issued a correction this week, saying Shihri was not captured.

AQAP surfaced as a target of the international military and intelligence community following its claim of responsibility for a failed plot to down a U.S. passenger jet Christmas Day.

Washington increased its military aid to Yemen in the wake of the attacks. A group of 150 clerics in Yemen backed jihad should American forces enter the fight in Yemen and AQAP called for "open war" on foreign forces should they invade.

Yemeni authorities maintain they can handle the security threat by themselves.