War reporting (corrected)
This is what happens in a war – conflicting reports based on hearsay and rumors and no one really knows what is happening.
Lets review three security incidents from today.
1. First, the director of security in Sayyun, Riyadh al-Khatabi, who I wrote about yesterday, was reported to have died from his wounds. Only then he didn’t die, but was recovering in a hospital in San’a. The truth, as this News Yemen piece suggests is still unknown.
2. This morning the security director, Muhammad al-Baham, in Mudawiya, which has seen more than its share of al-Qaeda violence was killed. Some are claiming al-Qaeda was responsible, while others are saying the gunmen were linked to the demonstration-celebration for the Oct. 14 revolution (the one the south recognizes.) The government or at least some in the government are claiming that this was done by supporters of Anwar al-Anbari, the brother of Jamil al-Anbari who was killed in a likely US strike back in May while riding on a motorcycle. News Yemen gives the blow-by-blow.
3. On his way to investigate the attack – why the governor is investigating the attack is a good question – Abyan’s governor, Ahmad al-Maysari was ambushed. And while he escaped, his brother and a guard were killed.
The war of attrition goes on and on and on.
Correction: The original post incorrectly stated that Anwar al-Anbari had been killed in the spring of 2010 by a likely US strike. It was, in fact, his brother Jamil, who was killed. Anwar is still very much alive and active within al-Qaeda.
