Protests against Al-Qaeda’s Control of Yemeni City
Local Editor
Protests were staged against the extremist Al-Qaeda group controlling Mukalla, the capital of southeast Yemen&rsquos Hadramawt province on Sunday, witnesses said.
The protest on Sunday erupted after militants stormed a mosque following evening prayers and one pointed a gun at the imam and threatened to kill him for criticizing Al-Qaeda, a local official said.
The extremist militants have set up checkpoints across the city and are demanding that residents use their courts which implement a strict interpretation of "sharia" law according to them. Additionally, residents also accuse the extremist group of trying to force their own strict imams into mosques across the city.
Mukalla has been largely spared fuel and food shortages that have hit other Yemeni cities affected by the fighting in the country.
