Turkey condemns killing of senior Yemeni army official

Turkey condemned the killing of a senior Yemeni army official on Saturday in an ambush by suspected al-Qaida militants, an official statement said Tuesday. Turkey condemned the attack that targeted General Nasser Mahdi Farid, the chief-of-staff for Yemen's central military command in Marib, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in the statement, adding that the attack in Yemen was learned with "sadness." Farid and two other military officers were killed Saturday when their convoy was intercepted and attacked by militants of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), a Yemeni interior ministry official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. About 11 soldiers who escorted the convoy were seriously injured by gunshots in the attack, said the official. The Turkish foreign ministry's statement said Turkey will continue to be in solidarity with the friendly and brotherly people of Yemen in their efforts during the transition period.