Alleged al-Qaeda Fighters Kill Top Yemeni Journalist Close to Houthis

Abdul Kareem Khaiwani, a prominent Yemeni journalist close to the Houthi rebels, the de-facto ruling party in the country, was killed Wednesday by militants allegedly belonging to al-Qaeda, a source in the country's security services told Sputnik.

SANAA (Sputnik) — The militants shot the journalist on a busy street in central Sanaa, Yemen's capital.

"He was shot in the head and died at the scene," the source said.

Yemen has recently seen a surge in al-Qaeda attacks.

The country is currently controlled by the Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah (Partisans of God), a Shiite insurgent group that on February 6 dissolved the Yemeni parliament and created a its own presidential council.

The fighters claim their actions will protect civilians from terrorism and end tribal discrimination by the previous government.