Yemeni warplanes attacked what are described as al-Qaeda hideouts in the Bani Dhabyan territory east of Sanaa yesterday, according to local reports (Yemen Post in English and Mareb Pressin Arabic).

Significantly, perhaps, the reported use of Yemeni air power comes in the midst of a debate about the use (or not) of American drones against al-Qaeda – a possible signal to Washington that Yemen prefers to handle these things itself.

However, it is not at all clear what happened yesterday. News Yemen (in Arabic) questions whether the attacks actually took place ("The area is calm and there is no movement or aircraft of al-Qaeda elements," according to one local source) and so far there has been no news of any casualties.

The reported attacks in Bani Dhabyan territory came just two days after an article appeared in the London-based Daily Telegraph under the headline: "Yemen tribal leaders will not hand over al-Qaeda operatives". It quoted Sheikh Ahmed Sharif, leader of the Bani Dhabyan, as saying: "What al-Qaeda are doing is very bad and against Islam. If we had someone from al-Qaeda we would not accept him but we would not give him to the government either."

Could there be a connection between this and the reported airstrikes? The Waq al-Waq blog points to a clue in another 
Telegraph article which appeared a day later:

"How much Mr Saleh can do to recruit the sheikhs to the cause of chasing the West's enemies is the big question. 'He can't control the whole country, but he can put a squeeze on any sheikh he wants to,' claims one senior western official. 'If he wanted to make it not worth their while to shelter al-Qaeda he could'."

Posted by Brian Whitaker, 15 November 2010