MARIB FOILED ATTACK
On 09/15/2006, just a few days after Al Qaeda’s acting leader Ayman Al Zawahiricalled on the web on Islamist militants to target oil facilities in the Gulf region. the Yemen authority, responding to intelligence they had, managed to explode four car bombs near the Safer refinery in Marib and the al-Dhabba terminal in Hadramout.
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As a result of the premature explosions 4 of the attackers, the drivers of the car bombs and probably would-be suicide bombers, were killed. A Canadian worker in the al-Dhabba terminal was killed too.
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The attack was carried out by an Al Qaeda cell formed by 6 of the 22 Yemen top Al Qaeda operatives that audaciously escaped Yemeni jail in Sanaa, Yemen’S capital, on 02/03/2006 (Sanaa Escape). The same cell carried out also Marib Suicide Attack on 07/02/2007.36 suspects on suspicion of organizing, planning, facilitating and executing the attack were put on trial. All six escapees from 02/03/2006, who led the cell, were sentenced in absentia. Abu Bakr al-Rabeei, the leading suspect among those in custody, is the brother of the notorious Al Qaeda operative Fawaz al-Rabeei . (Killed on 10/01/2006)
Jaber Elbaneh and Mohammed al-Omdah cut a deal with the authorities and, on 05/20/2007, surrendered themselves to Yemen authorities. Hamza Salim al-KUWAITI (from Kuwait) was killed by Yemen forces on 08/06/2007 following the Marib Suicide Attack. Nasser al-Wehaishi, Qassim al-Raimi and Ibrahim al-Huwaidi are still at large wanted by Yemen authority (see – 4 Marib Escapees).
Nasser al-Wehaishi and Kassem al-Raimi have also been accused by the interior ministry of masterminding the Marib Suicide Attack on 07/02/2007.
On 11/08/2007 the Yemen court found guilty 32 of the defendants. 4 were acquitted from all charges. 2 were sentenced to short period in jail and were released. The other 30 accused were sentenced up to 15 years imprisonment each.
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