Google - CANBERRA, Australia Australia's top diplomat praised Yemen's anti-terrorism efforts Monday after three Australians were arrested in the Middle Eastern country on charges of trying to smuggle weapons to Somalia.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said two Australian-born citizens had been arrested for terrorism-related offenses, as well as a Polish-born man who became an Australian citizen in the 1980s. He added that reports that Yemen had arrested four Australians were incorrect.
"We welcome the determination by Yemeni authorities to address terrorism," Downer told Parliament.
"We don't have any confirmation of the official charges at this stage, but we understand the men were detained on terrorist charges including attempting to smuggle arms to Somalia," he said.
"They are very serious charges and the government would ... be deeply concerned if it turns out that they are true," Downer said.
A Yemeni official said Sunday that four Australians and a Dane had been arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle weapons to Somalia. It wasn't immediately clear why there was a discrepancy in the number of Australians arrested.
The security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to release information to media, said the arrest campaign was still going on and that at least eight foreign nationals and 20 Yemenis have been arrested so far.
The United Arab Emirates acknowledged on Tuesday that two of its pilots were killed when their military aggression plane crashed over Jawf province, a military official said
The official added that the aggressive crashed plane was an apache that was
Artillery of the army and popular shelled a gathering of Saudi-paid mercenaries in al-Moqadra area in Serwah district of Marib province, a military official said on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, dozens of Saudi-paid mercenaries were killed and others injured in Wadi al-Theek in the district, the official added.
The army and popular forces carried out on Monday unique military operations in Taiz province.
A military official said that a number of Saudi-paid mercenaries were killed at the hands of the army and popular forces in al-Jazami Hill in al-Kadaha area in al-Ma'afer district.
A Saudi aggression fighter jet targeted a citizen's car driving in Fara area of Kutaf district in Saada province overnight, killing the driver and injuring his friend, a security official said on Monday.
The army artillery and popular committees launched a fierce attack on Saudi-paid mercenaries' sites in Jawf province, a military official said on Monday.
The attack destroyed a military vehicle belonging to the mercenaries and killed all on board in Sabran area in khab and shaaf district.
Scores of Saudi enemy soldiers were killed and injured on Sunday when the army and popular forces repelled a Saudi military attempt to sneak into Shurfah site in the border province of Najran, a military official said.
The operation was accomplished successfully against the Saudi
The army and popular committees have killed a total of 18 Saudi-paid mercenaries in sniper operations over the past hours in the central province of Marib, a military official said on Sunday.
Ten mercenaries were killed in Nehm district and eight others were killed in Serwah district, said the official.
Saudi aggression warplanes have launched more than 49 airstrikes over the past hours on several residential areas across Yemen, a security official said on Sunday.
The airstrikes targeted the areas of Malahiz and Husama in Dhahir district, and areas Thuban, Masahif and Sdad in Bakim district of northern Saada province.
Australia praises Yemen anti-terror efforts after 3 Australians arrested
