After a Brotherhood attack… Al-Qaeda members escape from a prison in Yemen’s Mukalla

The official television channel of the Transitional Council reported on Sunday that several members of the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda escaped from the Political Security (intelligence) prison in the city of Mukalla, the capital of Hadramout on the Arabian Sea.

Citing security sources, the channel said that “Al-Qaeda members escaped from the Political Security prison in Mukalla following a Brotherhood attack on the city, which led to a major security breakdown in this city considered the capital of Hadramout.”

The sources explained that “the escape of Al-Qaeda members occurred after extremist elements linked to the Muslim Brotherhood managed to reach Mukalla, in parallel with the withdrawal of southern government forces from the coastal cities of Hadramout.”

They considered that the escape “warns of serious security repercussions and opens the door to a wave of retaliatory acts, at a time when the organization is seeking to exploit the security vacuum to reorganize its ranks — something that heightens public fears about the return of terrorist groups.”

Forces affiliated with the Brotherhood had attacked Hadramout since last Friday, resulting in widespread security disruptions.