Yemen rejects direct intervention by foreign troops

Yemen's foreign minister said Wednesday his country is against direct intervention by foreign troops in its fight against al-Qaeda.

Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi said that U.S. forces are currently helping train Yemeni counterterrorism troops, and that more American soldiers acting only as trainers would be accepted.

"But not in any other capacity," he said.

"Direct intervention complicates things."

Earlier Wednesday, Yemeni security forces arrested three suspected al-Qaeda militants as the country continued its crackdown backed by Western governments, the Interior Ministry said.

The detained fighters were wounded two days ago in a clash when Yemeni troops tried to capture Mohammed Ahmed al-Hanaq, al-Qaeda's suspected leader in the mountainous Arhab region.

He escaped, but two fighters died and several were wounded.

Captured at hospital

The three detainees were captured at a hospital in Reyda, a region northwest of the capital, San'a.

Four other people suspected of helping the injured militants were also arrested.

Amid suggestions that it is too weak to step up pressure on al-Qaeda, Yemen has claimed success against the group recently.

Yemen's Interior Ministry said Tuesday that its forces "have imposed a security cordon around al-Qaeda elements everywhere they are present and ... are observing and pursuing them around the clock."

Speaking from San'a, freelance reporter Mohammed Al-Asaadi told CBC News that Yemen plans to deploy about 3,000 troops to three regions of the country where al-Qaeda is active.

The United States and the United Kingdom reopened their embassies in Yemen on Tuesday after two days of closures.

The U.S. said the assault against the al-Qaeda group had "addressed" threats that the group was planning an attack.