[15/February/2011]
SANA’A, Feb. 15 (Saba)- A Yemeni security official has denied the recent reports that deputy leader of the al-Qaeda branch in Yemen Sa'id al-Shihri was killed one week ago in Abyan province, southern Yemen.

Al-Shihri is a Saudi citizen and wanted by the security services in Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

Security director of Abyan province Brigadier General Abdul-Razaq al-Maruni also denied making statements on the death of al-Shihri attributed to him by some media, considering the news disseminated by media outlets about al-Shihri's death in Lawdar District to be claims that have not been verified yet.

The Yemeni official also said that al-Shihri and other al-Qaeda leading figures and elements are still wanted by the Yemeni security services, which are hunting them down in order to arrest them and bring them to the justice.

He added that propagating such news reports was most likely intended to mislead the security.

Media have reported Saudi national al-Shihri was killed in Abyan on 9 February while he was preparing an explosive device are untrue.

YA


Saba