Yemen, Saudi exchange terrorist suspects [Archives:2006/943/Local News]

SANA'A, April 29 ) Yemen handed over 16 Saudi fugitives to their homeland Saturday April 28 while Saudi authorities repatriated 11 Yemenis in the latest security swap between the two neighboring countries, Yemeni security official said.

The official said that the 16 Saudi nationals wanted at home on suspicion of involvement in terrorist activities. He added that the move falls within the framework of security agreements signed between the two countries to cooperate in combating terrorism and boost security in both Yemen and Saudi Arabia. He would not give further details on the exchange operation or the nature of charges against the fugitives.

Saudi Arabia and Yemen have already exchanged wanted suspects on more than one occasion under a June 2003 security agreement which strengthened an extradition treaty signed in 1998. In June 2000, they signed an agreement ending a decades-long territorial dispute. The two neighbors also agreed in 2004 to implement joint security arrangements to block infiltration and smuggling across their 1,800 kilometer frontier.

In May 2002, Saudi Arabia handed, Yemen three wanted Islamists, including two who were involved in the bombing of a giant French tanker off Yemeni shores. The three terrorists who attacked the Limburg with a booby-trapped boat were among a group of eight suspected turned over to Yemen by Riyadh. In return, Saudi Arabia received five wanted terror suspects from Yemen.

Last year, Yemen handed over 69 men to Saudi Arabia wanted by Riyadh for suspected connections with terrorist attacks in the oil- rich kingdom. Saudi Arabia and Yemen has been battling suspected Al-Qaeda militants since they were subjected to a series of attacks in recent years, notably.
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