Editing Terrorism in Yemen (section)

=={{anchor|Military/police counter-terrorism operations}}Military and police counter-terrorism operations==
{{see also|Al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen}}
After the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]] in the United States, President [[Ali Abdullah Saleh]] attempted to eliminate the [[Islamist]] militant presence. By November 2002, Yemeni government troops had detained 104 suspected al-Qaeda members.<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/story/al-qaeda-arrests-worldwide Al Qaeda Arrests Worldwide]  Fox News</ref>

In December 2001 a search by government forces for two Yemenis believed to be senior al-Qaeda members hiding near [[Ma'rib]] led to a gun battle with tribesmen which ended in the deaths of 34 people, including 18 soldiers. To defuse the situation, ten Ma'rib [[sheikh]]s were detained as hostages of the state in the presidential palace for 35 days, until 43 lesser tribesmen took their place.<ref>{{cite news |agency=Associated Press  |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0112210343dec21,0,4605558.story |title=Al Qaeda men sought in Yemen |work=Chicago Tribune |date=December 21, 2001 |access-date=April 4, 2010 |archive-date=October 23, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023215110/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0112210343dec21,0,4605558.story |url-status=live }}</ref>

At the request of the United States, Spanish troops boarded and detained a ship transporting [[Scud]] missiles from [[North Korea]] to Yemen in December 2002. After two days, when the United States determined that it had no right under international law to continue detaining the shipment, it was allowed to continue on its way to Yemen.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2569687.stm |title=Scud affair draws US apology |work=BBC News |date=December 12, 2002 |access-date=April 4, 2010 |archive-date=July 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702013207/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2569687.stm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/east/12/11/us.missile.ship/ |title=U.S. lets Scud ship sail to Yemen |work=CNN|date=December 12, 2002 |access-date=April 4, 2010 |archive-date=January 2, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070102014935/http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/01/01/mogadishu.somalia.ap/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

On July 30, 2009, three soldiers were killed in a clash with al-Qaeda militants in Marib province.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.business24-7.ae/Articles/2009/7/Pages/ThreesoldierskilledinalQaedaclashinYemen.aspx|title=Breaking News, UAE, GCC, Middle East, World News and Headlines - Emirates 24/7|work=Emirates 24/7|access-date=October 26, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090801123117/http://www.business24-7.ae/Articles/2009/7/Pages/ThreesoldierskilledinalQaedaclashinYemen.aspx|archive-date=August 1, 2009}}</ref> On December 17 the village of [[Al Ma`jalah]] was hit by a [[cruise missile]] which killed 41 people, including 14 women and 21 children; 14 were alleged al-Qaeda members. While the Yemeni government initially took responsibility, photographs of American components and a [[United States diplomatic cables leak|leaked diplomatic cable]] suggested that it was carried out by the United States.<ref>{{cite web|title=Wikileaks cable corroborates evidence of US airstrikes in Yemen|url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/wikileaks-cable-corroborates-evidence-us-airstrikes-yemen-2010-12-01|publisher=Amnesty International|access-date=August 7, 2012|date=December 1, 2010|archive-date=February 15, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150215095255/http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/wikileaks-cable-corroborates-evidence-us-airstrikes-yemen-2010-12-01|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] reported that US [[cruise missile]]s were part of the camp bombardment targeting [[Abu Hureira Qasm al-Rimi]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/2012/03/29/the-civilian-massacre-the-us-will-neither-confirm-nor-deny/|title=The civilian massacre the US neither confirms nor denies|work=thebureauinvestigates.com|access-date=September 30, 2015|archive-date=April 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150408034051/http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/2012/03/29/the-civilian-massacre-the-us-will-neither-confirm-nor-deny/|url-status=dead}}</ref> According to a local official and a tribal source, 49 civilians (including 23 women and 17 children) were among those killed in the strike. That day, a clash between security forces and al-Qaeda members in Abhar left four militants dead.<ref name="rawstory.com">{{cite web|url=http://rawstory.com/news/afp/34_suspected_Al_Qaeda_killed_in_Yem_12242009.html |title=34 suspected Al-Qaeda'killed in Yemen air strike' |website=The Raw Story |date=December 24, 2009 |access-date=April 4, 2010}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>

An air raid targeted an al-Qaeda meeting in Wadi Rafadh, Shabwa province on December 24, 2009. Thirty-four al-Qaeda militants were killed in the attack. According to security forces, Saudis and Iranians were among those killed. The number of al-Qaeda members arrested the previous week rose to 29.<ref name="rawstory.com"/>