国际英语新闻：Yemen arrests masterminds of botched terrorist attack against British envoy: official

SANAA, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Yemeni security agencies have arrested the masterminds of a recent botched assassination that targeted British envoy to Yemen, Interior Minister Mutahar al- Masri said in a speech on Thursday.

"The operation of arresting the masterminds of the failed terrorist attack occurred over the past few hours," al-Masri said at an annual meeting of the ministry's top security officers in the capital.

He noted that "the sweep is a considerable security achievement. "

Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry vowed on Thursday to continue its operations against al-Qaida.

British ambassador to Yemen Tim Torlot survived a suicide attack suspected to be launched by al- Qaida that targeted his convoy in Sanaa on Monday.

The vow came two days after the failed suicide terrorist attack that targeted British ambassador.

"More severe and painful strikes will continue against the terrorist al-Qaida organization and its leaders and cadres wherever they are, in order to defend Yemen and its supreme interests," the ministry said in a statement, citing unidentified top security official.

On Monday, a suicide bomber wearing an explosive belt blew himself up when the convoy of British ambassador to Yemen Tim Torlot was passing by. The attack only left the bomber dead and three passersby injured while the diplomat and his escorts survived unscathed.

Yemeni authorities then identified the suicide bomber as 22- year-old Osman Ali Noman Asaloi.

Yemeni police stepped up security presence after the attack in the capital Sanaa, particularly around western embassies.

Yemen, the ancestral homeland of al-Qaida network leader Osama bin Laden, has intensified security operations and air raids against terrorist groups, after the Yemen-based al-Qaida wing claimed responsibility for a botched Christmas Day attempt to blow up a U.S. plane bound for Detroit.