Twelve Americans held in Yemen

WASHINGTON: Twelve US citizens were detained in Yemen, US State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters on Monday, following reports of foreigners being arrested for links to Al-Qaeda.

"I'm not going to get into any specifics," Crowley said at a briefing where he was queried by journalists about the alleged links to the extremist group. The spokesman added words of praise for the two governments' joint efforts against terrorism.

"We have great cooperation with the government of Yemen," Crowley said. "Together we are doing our best to help Yemen reduce the threat posed by Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula." A US official said privately that he did not know if the arrests were made in one sweep.

Britain's Daily Mail, citing British sources in Sanaa, reported on its website that a Briton had been arrested among dozens of foreigners suspected of having ties to Al-Qaeda. A source in Yemeni security services on Sunday noted the arrest over the past two months of more than 30 foreigners including three Frenchmen, an American and a Briton, as part of a crackdown on Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

Umar Faruk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian accused in a botched bid to blow up a US airliner on Christmas Day, had been to Yemen just before the flight.