2 Qaeda terrorist cells busted in Aden

The Yemeni security forces dismantled two terrorist cells in the southern port city of Aden, foiling their attack plans on government compounds and military bases across the province, a police officer told Xinhua on Sunday. Units of the counter-terrorism security forces managed to dismantle two terrorist cells affiliated with al-Qaida in Cerater neighborhood, in Aden, and detained five terrorists, the local police officer said on condition of anonymity. Five al-Qaida members had been captured as they prepared terrorist attacks and suicide bombings on several government compounds as well as military bases in various places in Aden, the police officer said. The two cells had carried out a number of gun raids and armed attacks against security forces and assassinated military officials in the city, he added. The county's Defense Ministry said in a brief text message obtained by Xinhua that "two terrorist cells run by members of the Yemeni-based branch of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) were successfully foiled in Aden." Several intelligence and security members have been targeted in Aden and other major cities in a string of high-level assassinations since a U.S.-backed offensive drove al-Qaida militants out of their main strongholds in southern restive province of Abyan three months ago. The United States have beefed up anti-terror cooperation with escalating numbers of drone strikes in particular, since President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi took office in February after a year-long political upheaval that unseated former leader Ali Abdullah Saleh.