The punishment was administered late on Sunday in the town of Jaar in Abyan province, a major Al Qaeda stronghold in the restive south, witnesses said.
Since May, Al Qaeda militants calling themselves Partisans of Shariah have taken control of several towns in Abyan.
The army, backed by US drones, has since been locked in battle with the extremists over the control of Abyan’s provincial capital Zinjibar.
The militants have enforced their own strict interpretation of Shariah, handing out lashes and severing the hands of people they accuse of stealing.
Jaar, where all such punishments have taken place, is under militant control and residents there say there is no government presence.
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, has taken advantage of a year of unrest in Yemen after protests erupted against the 33-year rule of Ali Abdullah Saleh who formally handed power to his deputy Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi on Monday. Hadi vowed in a speech on Saturday to continue battling the extremists.
His speech was followed a few hours later by an Al Qaeda-style suicide attack on a presidential palace in the southeastern province of Hadramawt, in which 26 elite Republican Guard troops were killed.
COMMENTS (4)
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@Naumann Malik. I agree, sharia (barbaric as it is) is the law but who appointed this bunch of terrorists as judge, jury and executioners?
ET = Devil's Advocate.
Why is it that an Islamic law is news on this newspaper? Oh I get it, you love bashing all Islamic laws. This law is implemented in United Arab Emirates, Saudi, but I seldom see it news here...why? Because it is the law.
Grow up, your anti Islamic bashing articles are ridiculous & you keep humiliating yourselves. Spend your energy in some decent reporting.
Always loved Yemen! Mysterious beautiful land of beautiful highly civilized, tolerant, free people. Home of F. M. Hussain!!