Yemen's al Qaeda wing seeks to set up 'emirate' in east

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By Mohammed Mukhashaf and Yara Bayoumy ADEN/DUBAI (Reuters) - Yemen's al Qaeda wing has ordered men and women in the east to obey its strict interpretation of Islamic law, saying it aimed to set up an emirate in the remote area, local media and a resident said. The an**uncement by Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) will stoke concerns about the territorial ambitions of militant groups weeks after al Qaeda offshoot Islamic State declared its own caliphate across parts of Syria and Iraq. AQAP - one of the most active branches of the global militant network - has been shifting its operations to Yemen's eastern Hadramout province after the army, backed by U.S. drones, helped drive it out of southern strongholds this year. Leaflets in AQAP's name have been distributed in shops, streets and villages in rural Hadramout over the past two days, Saleh Barzeeq, a shop owner in Seiyoun, told Reuters, confirming media reports.

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