NEW TWIST

2 Yemenis Shot by U.S. Linked to Al Qaeda

Confirmed by Yemeni official.

U.S. officials admitted Friday that a special-operations commando and a CIA officer killed two armed Yemeni civilians who were trying to kidnap them in a barbershop on April 24. On Saturday, a Yemen official said that the two Yemenis were actually linked to an al Qaeda cell responsible for kidnapping and killing many foreigners, including a Frenchman just last week. Yemen officials have not yet acknowledged that Americans were responsible for the barbershop shooting, referring to them only as “foreigners.” While the State Department said the shooting is under investigation, Yemen is increasingly struggling with Islamic insurgents. On Sunday, six Yemeni army officers were killed by a suicide car bomb believed to be executed by al Qaeda.