SANAA, July 24 (Reuters) - Suspected Shi'ite rebels killed three soldiers and abducted several others after ambushing their vehicle in north Yemen on Friday, a local official said. "Houthi supporters burned the armoured personnel carrier and also kidnapped several soldiers after the attack, but it is still unclear how many," the official from Saada province told Reuters in the capital Sanaa by telephone. An aide to rebel leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi told Reuters five soldiers were killed in the ambush. Yemen, one of the poorest Arab countries, has been battling a wave of al Qaeda attacks, as well as a Shi'ite Muslim rebellion in its north and rising secessionist sentiment in the south. The violence has raised Western fears that Yemen could become a new haven for Islamist militants. The ambush came a day after at least eight people were killed in clashes between security forces and armed men at an opposition gathering in south Yemen. Neighbouring Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, has said it fears instability in Yemen could allow it to become a launch pad for a revival of a 2003-2006 campaign by al Qaeda militants to destabilise the U.S.-allied government. (Reporting by Mohamed Sudam and Mohammed al-Ghobari; Writing by Firouz Sedarat; Editing by Louise Ireland)
A girlfrom the Akhdam (servants) community takes part in a demonstration to demand better rights and living conditions in Sanaa July 21, 2009. The Akhdam community, who are, according to popular ...
