U.S. Embassy Security Chief Killed in Yemen
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Sanaa, Yemen/ Creative Commons
The death comes amid a recent string of assaults on officials in Yemen, an impoverished country that is fighting Islamist extremists with the help of the U.S.
A source told Reuters that Qassem Aqlan, who was the head of an embassy security investigation team, was killed near his home by an armed motorcyclist.
According to the source, "this operation has the fingerprints of al Qaeda which carried out similar operations before."
Aqlan’s neighbor, Fahad, also noticed suspicious people wandering the neighborhood’s streets a few days before the attack, which further suggests that this was a premeditated assault.
Aqlan, in his fifties, was employed by the embassy for over a decade. One of his achievements during his time at the embassy was the organization of a trade of security information between U.S. and Yemeni authorities. He also played a part in the investigation of the attacks last month on the U.S. embassy by protestors, who were enraged by an anti-Islam Youtube video produced in the U.S.
Bernadette Meehan, a spokeswoman for The White House National Security Council in response to the assassination said, "We are aware of the reports of this tragic incident and our embassy in Sanaa is working with the Yemeni authorities."
Since last year’s Arab-Spring and the removal of President Ali Abdullah Saleh in February, militant groups such as al Qaeda have gained strength in parts of the country.
The U.S., with the support of current President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, has amplified drone strikes against Yemen-based al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which is considered to be the most dangerous branch of the terrorist group.
The drone strikes and Yemen-led military offensives have forced militants into seclusion in the mountains, where they plan suicide attacks and assassinations.
Yemen, a country that lies on international shipping lanes and which borders the major oil producer, Saudi Arabia, has become a top international priority because of its strong al Qaeda presence.
