YEMEN - Al-Qaeda affiliated terrorists were behind the assassination of Colonel Tarboush, the head of the investigative office in Marib, according to a Ministry of Interior security authority.
The source explained that the terrorists abducted Colonel Tarboush on June 28, 2009, took him to their hideout in the Marib province, tortured him, and finally executed him.
Colonel Tarboush was described as one of the most active officers and had recently foiled an attempt to smuggle two tons of marijuana out of Marib earlier this year.
The source emphasized that security authorities will continue their hunt for the perpetrators who killed Col. Tarboush, until they are arrested and brought to justice.
Also on the topic of terrorism, the Mareb Press website has reported that locals in Marib have seen a number of drones flying over the province in the past few days. Citizens are worried that these drones may launch offensives similar to ones that targeted Sinan al-Harithi. Al-Harithi was a high-profile al-Qaeda member, mastermind of the USS Cole bombing, who is believed to have been killed by a missile fired from a U.S. drone in Marib in 2002.
The Marib Citizens Forum has demanded that the government uncover the origin of these drones that are violating the sovereignty of the country. The Citizens Forum stated that the drones had also been spotted several months ago, but until recently, had vanished.