Yemen arrests 29 al Qaeda suspects

Regional wing claims responsibility

Yemen said yesterday it had arrested 29 suspected al Qaeda members while a regional wing of al Qaeda claimed responsibility for a failed Christmas Day attack on a US-bound passenger plane, saying it was to avenge US attacks on the group in Yemen. In a statement posted on Islamist websites, the group Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula said it had provided the Nigerian suspect in the attempt with a "technically advanced device" but that it had failed to detonate because of a technical fault.

Al Qaeda's presence in Yemen has grown in the past year and Washington has said a Nigerian who tried to bomb a US airliner on Christmas Day said he had help from al Qaeda militants in Yemen, where the government is battling instability.

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