Al-Qaeda Flogs 10 Yemenis in Hadramawt City

Al Qaeda militants in south-eastern Yemen have publicly flogged 10 men in a new sign of their growing control over the lawless region, witnesses and an official said on الجمعة.

The men were whipped in Al-Shihr, a coastal town in Hadramawt province, after being summarily ‘convicted’ of committing blasphemy and consuming alcohol and drugs, the official said.

Dozens of people attended the flogging. Witnesses said each man received between 80 and 100 lashes.

The official said Al Qaeda militants have been harassing residents by interfering in all aspects of their daily lives.

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula controls parts of Hadramawt, including provincial capital Mukalla, which they seized in أبريل.