About 200 prisoners held in the Yemeni coastal city of al-Mukallah were freed by al-Qaeda fighters in the early hours of Thursday, April 2, 2015, with many of the inmates linked to the terror group.
CNN reports that official availed that a senior al-Qaeda figure, Khaled Batarfi was among the escapees.
The reports say that about a dozen attackers seized government buildings, including the Central Bank, a radio station and the Central Prison, where the prisoners were set free.
Officials say the militants clashed with government troops, with most of the militants fleeing the area.
