Yemen leader blames al-Qaeda for attacks

• The country's president said his government is determined to uproot al-Qaeda
• He singled out the suicide attack on the Abyan military camp last Friday
• Washington considers Yemen's al-Qaeda branch as the world jihadi group's most dangerous offshoot

SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Yemen's president has accused al-Qaeda of orchestrating the latest string of attacks in his country, pledging to continue his government's battle against terrorism.

In a televised speech late Thursday at the start of the Eid al-Adha holiday, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi

said his government is determined to uproot al-Qaeda from the country.

He singled out the suicide attack on the Abyan military camp last Friday, which left 14 army officers and soldiers dead.

His speech came hours after militants on motorcycles assassinated two senior security officials south of the capital, Sanaa, in a drive-by shooting.

Washington considers Yemen's al-Qaeda branch as the world jihadi group's most dangerous offshoot.

In May, Yemen's government carried out an offensive against the group's strongholds in the south.