Al-Qaeda in Yemen urge kidnappings of Saudi royals, Christians

Sanaa - A senior member of al-Qaeda in Yemen has released an audio message to those in Saudi Arabia, urging his followers to kidnap members of the Saudi royal family and Christians.

In an audiotape distributed through the Dubai news channel al Arabiya, senior Yemeni al-Qaeda commander, Saeed al-Shehri, urged “major operations” against the Saudi kingdom after the arrest of Hayla al-Qassir, according to Reuters. Al-Qassir was accused of recruiting women for the militant group and being responsible for the group’s finances. She is also the widow of an al-Qaeda operative who was killed six years ago. “Form cells to kidnap Christians and princes from the Saud family and their top officials of ministers and officers. We tell our soldiers: You have to kidnap in order to release the prisoners,” said the al-Qaeda regional commander, reports AFP. “Stop knocking at the doors of the tyrants and their deviant ulemas. If you want your relatives to be released from prison, they will only be out by the same way they were taken in.” The Associated Press notes that the audiotape was 17 minutes long and was similar to another audiotape that was released recently calling for attacks against United States and Saudi interests in the Middle East. Yemen has been called “the war of tomorrow” as the U.S. continues to increase its financial aid, intelligence and military weapons to fight al-Qaeda in the region. Yemeni and Saudi forces have colluded to fight militants in the region.