Al-Qaeda in Arab Peninsula (AQAP)detains man suspected of working for the CIA Sanaa – Ali Rabea An Arab national believed to be a member of al-Qaeda in Arab Peninsula (AQAP) has been arrested in the southern province of Abyan, Yemeni authorities revealed on Saturday. In a statement on its website, Yemen’s Interior Ministry confirmed that members of the pro-army militia known as the Popular Committee (PC) arrested \"an Arab national\" in the area of Dahour in Shakra, in the southern region of Abyan.
The man was apparently driving a Toyota Cressida when he was pulled over by the PC, which suspected the driver of being connected to terrorist groups in the province, despite carrying a Yemeni ID.
He has now been transferred to police custody in the neighbouring province of Aden, say sources.
Meanwhile, local media sources in the Yemeni capital Sanaa have reported that a man suspected of working for US intelligence agency, the CIA, has been discovered among members of AQAP. The group confirmed that the man is currently being interrogated by AQAP’s “Sharia board”, saying he will face the death penalty “if found guilty of being a spy.”
According to the newspaper sources, the detained man is believed to have been behind several drone attacks targeting AQAP members in 2012.
The news come after persistent reports that US and Saudi authorities are believed to have successfully infiltrated AQAP, by planting spies who provide information which has helped take down a number of AQAP leaders in recent years.