The Yemeni authorities say they have arrested Saleh al-Raimi, who was wanted for financing al-Qaeda activities in Yemen. Raimi, a 33-year-old Yemeni living in Saudi Arabia, was captured at Sana'a airport on Friday when he arrived from the kingdom,according to the interior ministry.

Meanwhile, the ministry has offered a reward of 20 million riyals ($93,000) for information leading to the arrest of eight named al-Qaeda suspects. The eight are:

Ameen Abdullah Abdul Rhman al Othmani
Bashir Muhammad Ahmed al Huleisi
Shawqi Ali Ahmed al Ba'adani
Abdul Elah Ali Qasim al Mesbahi
Abdul Hamid Ahmed Muhammad al Hubaishi
Muhammad Ali Abdullah al Nasheri
Musleh Abdullah Ahmed al Huleisi
Yousuf Ahmed Muthana Zyood. 

AFP reports that three soldiers were killed and at least two wounded on Saturday when a military convoy was ambushed in Abyan province. Two men described as "al-Qaeda terrorist elements" also died when their car blew up, according to Almotamar, the ruling party's website.

Reports yesterday of a remark by Yemen's interior minister have raised new questions about the death of Jacques Spagnolo, a Frenchman who was shot on October 6 by a security guard at the company where he worked in Sana'a.

According to reports at the time, Spagnolo's killing was a criminal act resulting from a dispute the previous day. However, the minister, Motahar Rashad al-Masri, has now been quoted as saying that investigations have shown "this was a terrorist crime, whose perpetrator had contacts with elements of al-Qaeda". So far, though, no details have been given.

UPDATE, 19 October: A spokesman for the Saudi interior ministry said the kingdom has no information linking Raimi with terroris.