Two Yemeni Nationals Charged in U.S. Over Alleged Al-Qaeda Link

Two alleged al-Qaeda operatives have been charged in a United States federal court with conspiring to kill American nationals, according to a complaint unsealed on Tuesday.

The government says Yemeni nationals Saddiq Al-Abbadi and Ali Alvi are both members of al-Qaeda who attacked U.S. soldiers stationed in Afghanistan. Both Al-Abbadi and Alvi treaveled to Pakistan to fight and train with al-Qaeda in March 2008, prosecutors said, and Al-Abbadi fought against the U.S. military in Iraq as well.

According to the complaint, Al-Abbadi “led a battle against U.S. forces in Paktya Province in May 2008 during which one U.S. Army Ranger was killed and several others were seriously wounded.”

The complaint was originally filed under seal in April 2009, Reuters reports, and describes a cooperating witness who pleaded guilty to conspiring to murder Americans and joined al-Qaeda with Al-Abbadi and Alvi’s help.