Yemen Intensifies Terrorist Search

Yemen buried 18 soldiers killed pursuing suspected Osama bin Laden operatives as teams went house to house Thursday looking for Al Qaeda members, government and tribal officials said.

Searchers backed by U.S.-trained special forces were in villages in Marib, Shabwa and Al Jawf provinces, security officials in Marib said on condition of anonymity. Tribal elders said no suspects had been captured.

Defense Minister Abdullah Ali Alaywa and senior Interior Ministry officials were in the region directing the search, the security officials said. Alaywa asked during a meeting with tribal elders in Marib that they convince Abida tribesmen to hand over Al Qaeda suspects, saying it is against tribal and Yemeni laws to harbor criminals and terrorists.