Al Qaeda group tightens grip on Yemen coastal town

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/29/us-yemen-idUSTRE73L1PP20110529

(Reuters) - An al Qaeda group tightened its grip on a Yemeni coastal town while in the capital Sanaa a truce was holding on Sunday between President Ali Abdullah Saleh's forces and armed rebels, hours after it was agreed.

Armed men believed to be from al Qaeda appeared to have full control of the coastal city of Zinjibar in the flashpoint province of Abyan.

"About 300 Islamic militants and al Qaeda men came into Zinjibar and took over everything on Friday," a resident said. The army had withdrawn from Zinjibar after a battle with militants in March, but later regained control.

Opposition groups have accused Saleh of using the al Qaeda threat to win aid from regional powers seeking his government's help in battling the militants. The groups have said they could do a better job of containing al Qaeda than the president.