Sana’a, May 31, 2008 (YemenOnline)- Al-Qaeda affiliated group “Yemen Soldier Brigades” claimed responsibility for the attack that targeted oil refinery in al-Bureiqa town in the southern city of Aden on Friday.  

In a statement posted on an al-Qaeda website “al-Ikhlas network’ the group said that “the squad of al-Qa’aqa’a al-Tamimi, may Allah be happy with him, attacked the oil refinery in the city of Aden with three mortar rounds as Yemen’s “despot” used this installation to provided Christians with fuel in their war against Islam.”  

Official media quoted security sources as saying that Aden oil refineries were attacked by three mortar rounds on Friday afternoon. 

Security sources said that just two sonic bombs went off and that the installation was not damaged.           

Following the attack security forces broke into homes of several al-Qaeda elements who were previously released from jails in Aden.  

Al-Qaeda organization called its loyalists in Yemen last week to initiate “tough and painful” strikes against foreign interests mainly those of the U.S.   

“We hope from our brothers in Yemen to take us back to the old days of attacking USS Cole and French Limburg as such operations have and effect on the people nowadays,” said a statement posted last week in a website run by al-Qaeda.    

The statement indicated that al-Qaeda is currently in need for such operations to rectify its image that has been tarnished.    

The statement also advised al-Qaeda's followers in Yemen to focus, for the time being, on American targets.  

The statement added that targeting Yemeni soldiers is useless indicating that there is a difference between the troops in Iraq and Yemen as Iraqi troops are a medium in the hands of the Christians.  “Targeting a home belonging to “Ali Saleh” (Yemen’s President) or targeting a soldier in a Yemeni village is not useful nowadays,” the statement added.  

A soldier was killed in an al-Qaeda attack on the U.S. Embassy compound on March 18, 2008.   The presidential compound was also targeted in May 1st, 2008  Both attacks were claimed by al-Qaeda-affiliated group “Yemen Soldier Brigades”. 

The attack comes one day after security authorities said they arrested an 11- al-Qaeda cell in the capital Sana’a.