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CNN Live At Daybreak

Terrorist Linked to Cole Bombing Dead After Shoot Out

Aired February 14, 2002 - 06:02   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And we'll get that live update on the Daniel Pearl kidnapping in a moment, but first another terror tale, this one in Yemen, where an al Qaeda suspect is now dead.

CNN's Brent Sadler is in Sana'a Yemen with the details on that -- Brent.

BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks Carol. Well Yemeni security forces are claiming the first success in a nationwide manhunt to capture remnants of the al Qaeda terrorist network that began in December. Here's what happened during an overnight raid by security forces in the center of the capital near the university area.

Security forces encircled a hideout, they said. Inside that hideout was a man by the name of Sameer Ahmed Mohammad al-Hada, a 25- year old Yemeni wanted in connection for the suicide attack against the USS destroyer, Cole in the port of Aden almost a year and a half ago.

Now to begin with they faced gunshots as security forces approached the hideout. They returned fire and then in the ensuing confusion, the man escaped. His pursuers followed and then as he was about, it seems, to throw a hand grenade at them, the device exploded and he killed himself.

Now since then, the security forces have been working the scene. We have not been able to see this area ourselves. We're still being kept away from that area, where this incident happened, but we're told that security forces have taken away what they say is important evidence including two pistols, a stack of aliases, forged I.D. documents, as well as documents and books.

Now what's important, say security forces here, is that the dead man had very important family ties to suspected al Qaeda terrorists. First of all, one brother-in-law of his is to -- was named by the FBI as one of the September 11 Pentagon suicide hijackers. Another of the dead man's brother-in-law was one of the 17 names to appear on an FBI terrorist alert issued worldwide only Tuesday. So it does seem that he has very important connections to either dead or wanted al Qaeda suspects.

Back to you Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Brent Sadler reporting live for us from Yemen this morning. Thank you.

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