Terrorist cell busted in Yemen had links with Israel

Dubai, Oct 8 (IANS) A terrorist cell busted in Yemen last month after a suicide attack on the US embassy there had links with an Israeli intelligence agency, the state-run Saba news agency reported.

The report, quoting an unnamed source, said investigations and data retrieved from a computer seized from the cell, showed there was correspondence between the Islamic Jihad group's deputy leader Bassam Abdullah Fadhel Al-Haidari and an Israeli intelligence agency.

The Islamic Jihad, reported to have links with the Al Qaeda, had claimed responsibility for the attack on the US embassy in Sana'a Sep 17, which had claimed 18 lives, including that of an Indian woman.

Saba quoted the source as saying that the correspondence between the two sides included a request from the Israeli side to implement terrorist attacks inside Yemen.

Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh Monday said a terrorist group operating in the name of Islam had been maintaining links with Israel.

The six-member cell was led by Emad Ali Saeed Al-Rwoni, also known as Abu Al-Gaith Al-Miqdad Al-Yamani.

Following the attack on the US mission, it had reportedly sent several threatening letters targeting Arab and foreign embassies in Yemen including those of Britain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Sep 17 incident was the deadliest attack against US interests in Yemen since the October 2000 bombing of the warship 'USS Cole' in the southern Yemen port of Aden, which left 17 sailors dead and 32 wounded.

And then March 18 this year, a mortar was fired at the US embassy in which three police officers and four girls in a neighbouring school were wounded.

A similar attack April 6 targeted a residential compound housing US and Western citizens. No one was hurt in that incident.

Al Qaeda had claimed responsibility for both attacks.

After the Sep 11, 2001, attacks on US cities, Yemen had been an ally of the US-led war on terror.