CAIRO Ñ A leading Yemeni opposition figure has been shot dead during
an appearance at a political gathering.
Jarallah Omar, undersecretary of the Socialist Party, was killed on
Saturday in Yemen during an assembly by his party. The party is a member of
the Islah reform coalition, led by Yemen's Islamic fundamentalist movement.
The killing, which sparked street battles throughout Sanaa, was said to be
the first political assassination in Yemen since the country was reunited
in 1994. An Islamic fundamentalist with ties to Yemen's security agency was
arrested and charged with the killing.
Witnesses said Omar, a former Yemeni minister, was shot three times
as he was leaving the gathering of an estimated 5,000 party members. His
assailant was identified as Ali Jarallah, "The initial investigations
showed that the perpetrator is among the extremist elements," a senior
Yemeni security official was quoted by the official Saba news agency as
saying. "He is one of the elements who had been arrested for inciting
violence against the government and was released following mediation from
some of the Islah leaders."
Yemeni sources said Jarallah had planned to kill other leaders from the
Islah, a coalition of Islamic and secular movements. The sources said
Jarallah had opposed the alliance between Islamic and secular movements.
Omar was known to be highly critical of Yemen's government and ruling
party. His assassination took place as Yemen is gearing up for an offensive against
the Al Qaida movement in a joint effort with the United States.
