Al-Qaeda claims attacks on Belgian, Spanish tourists: report

0 Comments | AFP, February, 2008

DUBAI (AFP) — Al-Qaeda's wing in Yemen has claimed responsibility for separate attacks on groups of Belgian and Spanish tourists in the impoverished country, a web monitoring group said on Tuesday.

The "Jund Al-Yemen Brigades" said in an Internet statement that it was behind a strike in January which killed two Belgians and another in July which left seven Spaniards dead, the SITE Intelligence Group reported.

The militant group said it carried out the "blessed operations" to support besieged Muslims around the world and to avenge the capture and killing of fellow Al-Qaeda militants.

Yemeni officials previously blamed Al-Qaeda militants for both attacks.

SITE said it could not verify the authenticity of the statement, which was posted on an Internet...