Yemeni Soldiers Fatally Shoot Al-Qaeda Insurgents Dressed as Women

MOSCOW, December 14 (Sputnik) – a group of Al-Qaeda suicide bombers dressed as women were fatally shot in Yemen by soldiers on Saturday as they tried to cross a checkpoint; the foiled militants had been heading for the Saudi Arabian border, officials told AFP.

According to a Yemeni government official, "As one of the soldiers climbed on board the bus for an inspection, one of the suspects opened fire and wounded him, prompting shooting from other soldiers at the checkpoint."

The official told AFP that six men suspected of being affiliated with al-Qaeda were wearing black robes and the traditional Arab niqab, a veil which covers the face. The agency reports that another suspect and the driver of the vehicle were wounded in the incident, which took place in the town of Harad, 15 kilometers from the Saudi border. Vehicles carrying women are rarely inspected by Yemeni security forces.

According to an AP report, three suspected militants wearing women's clothes were shot. The driver of their vehicle was arrested and later confessed to a plan to carry out a suicide bombing, targeting Saudi border guards. The male driver reportedly told Yemeni security forces that he and his companions were a family on a visit to Saudi Arabia.

The Yemeni-Saudi border has been subject to al-Qaeda attacks from both sides of the frontier. AFP reported that a July attack by Saudi al-Qaeda suspects killed five security officers, and in April two Saudi soldiers were killed by gunmen who fired from across the border in Yemen.

Al-Arabiya News reports that Saudi Arabia is in the process of constructing a three meter high fence along its southern boundary to ward off illegal crossings and curb arms smuggling.