Top al-Qaeda commander surrenders in Yemen

Al-Qaeda commander Hizam Mujally accused of plotting a bomb attack on a French oil tanker in 2002 has surrendered to Yemeni authorities, Xinhua reported on Thursday.

Al-Qaeda commander Hizam Mujally accused of plotting a bomb attack on a French oil tanker in 2002 has surrendered to Yemeni authorities, Xinhua reported on Thursday.

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The attack took place off Yemen's southern coast, the defence ministry said. He was arrested in 2003, but escaped from a high-security prison in 2006.

He was charged with killing a military officer in August 2004. Last week, another al-Qaeda leader, Jumaan Sufian surrendered in al-Jouf province, the ministry said.

The al-Qaeda network in Yemen carried out a series of attacks on security facilities and western targets over the past two months in the country, killing dozens of people.

Yemen is the ancestral home of al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.