Yemen to free al-Qaeda suspects

Yemen has decided to release 176 men suspected of ties to the militant network al-Qaeda on condition of good behaviour, officials say.

The ruling excludes those convicted of terrorism, unless they have completed their sentence.

Yemen has gained a reputation as a haven for Islamist militants in recent years, and there have been a series of attacks against Western targets.

Previous prisoner releases have worried US officials.

As a result, the US was more reluctant to free Yemeni prisoners from the US detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, correspondents say.

One unnamed Yemeni official was quoted by AFP news agency as saying that 95 of the 176 men due to be released had already been freed on Friday.

This week Saudi Arabia issued a list of 83 wanted militants living overseas, calling on them to return to their home country and resume normal life.

Two of the suspects were Yemeni while the rest were Saudis.

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