Al-Qaida suspects kidnap military intelligence officer in southern Yemen

Aden

Suspected al-Qaida militants abducted a military intelligence officer from his residential building in Yemen's southern province of Abyan on Sunday, a government official told Xinhua.

Four gunmen suspected of belonging to the al-Qaida terrorist group kidnapped Brig. Khaled Masood from his house located in the eastern suburbs of Mudiyah town in Abyan province, the local government official said on condition of anonymity.

"The al-Qaida suspects who were armed with assault rifles raided the officer's house and took him to unknown location," the government source said.

The source said that the military officer was kidnapped and taken to an unknown destination. Security authorities were working to track the kidnappers.

No one has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping so far.

Several security and intelligence officials were assassinated or kidnapped in recent months in southern regions, where the al- Qaida militants are active.

Combating al-Qaida militants in the restive south is one of the challenges confronting Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who has promised to uproot the Yemeni branch of al-Qaida with the help of the United States and neighbouring Saudi Arabia.

Xinhua