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SANAA, Yemen – Nearly 60 suspected al-Qaida militants tunneled their way out of a Yemeni prison in the lawless south on Wednesday, deepening the chaos of a nation where protesters are trying to topple the autocratic regime.
The escape from the Mukalla prison in Hadramout province is the latest sign that Islamic militants are seizing on the mayhem to operate more freely, something the U.S. fears will become an increasing international threat if the impoverished nation grows even more unstable. Hundreds of Islamic militants have also taken control of two southern towns in recent weeks.
The jailbreak in the early hours of Wednesday harked back to one in February 2006, when 23 al-Qaida militants broke out of a detention facility in Sanaa, Yemen's capital. They included Nasser al-Wahishi, who went on to become the leader of the Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, which Washington says is already the terror network's most active branch.
Yemeni security officials said the escapees on Wednesday included two Syrians, two Saudis and 16 members of an al-Qaida cell blamed for at least 13 terror attacks.
A growing al-Qaida threat would deepen the country's predicament.
Already, much of Yemen has been paralyzed by months of massive protests demanding the ouster of longtime leader Ali Abdullah Saleh. The crisis shifted to armed street conflict between troops loyal to Saleh and rival tribal fighters.
The president of nearly 33 years was badly wounded in an attack on his Sanaa compound earlier this month, and his departure for medical treatment in neighboring Saudi Arabia has failed to break the deadlock.
The unrest also has significantly worsened conditions for most Yemenis, whose lives had been difficult even before the start of the unrest in February. Most now suffer from an acute shortage of drinking water, lengthy power cuts and soaring food prices.
The United States already has warned that militants in Yemen were taking advantage of the unrest to operate more openly and have been able to acquire and hold more territory. Anticipating conditions to worsen, Washington is building a secret CIA air base in the Persian Gulf region to target al-Qaida, The Associated Press learned last week.
The AP also learned that the White House has increased the number of CIA officers in Yemen and stepped up the schedule to construct the base.
U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Wednesday that Washington was trying to learn all the facts about Wednesday's jailbreak and emphasized that cooperation with Yemeni officials on counterterrorism was continuing despite the turmoil.
The escape from the Mukalla prison in Hadramout province is the latest sign that Islamic militants are seizing on the mayhem to operate more freely, something the U.S. fears will become an increasing international threat if the impoverished nation grows even more unstable. Hundreds of Islamic militants have also taken control of two southern towns in recent weeks.
The jailbreak in the early hours of Wednesday harked back to one in February 2006, when 23 al-Qaida militants broke out of a detention facility in Sanaa, Yemen's capital. They included Nasser al-Wahishi, who went on to become the leader of the Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, which Washington says is already the terror network's most active branch.
Yemeni security officials said the escapees on Wednesday included two Syrians, two Saudis and 16 members of an al-Qaida cell blamed for at least 13 terror attacks.
A growing al-Qaida threat would deepen the country's predicament.
Already, much of Yemen has been paralyzed by months of massive protests demanding the ouster of longtime leader Ali Abdullah Saleh. The crisis shifted to armed street conflict between troops loyal to Saleh and rival tribal fighters.
The president of nearly 33 years was badly wounded in an attack on his Sanaa compound earlier this month, and his departure for medical treatment in neighboring Saudi Arabia has failed to break the deadlock.
The unrest also has significantly worsened conditions for most Yemenis, whose lives had been difficult even before the start of the unrest in February. Most now suffer from an acute shortage of drinking water, lengthy power cuts and soaring food prices.
The United States already has warned that militants in Yemen were taking advantage of the unrest to operate more openly and have been able to acquire and hold more territory. Anticipating conditions to worsen, Washington is building a secret CIA air base in the Persian Gulf region to target al-Qaida, The Associated Press learned last week.
The AP also learned that the White House has increased the number of CIA officers in Yemen and stepped up the schedule to construct the base.
U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Wednesday that Washington was trying to learn all the facts about Wednesday's jailbreak and emphasized that cooperation with Yemeni officials on counterterrorism was continuing despite the turmoil.
