Germany bans all Yemen flights as US names bomb suspect

Germany banned passenger flights from Yemen on Monday, after earlier joining the France and the UK in banning freight. The US has named Ibrahim Hassan Al-Asiri as the “leading suspect” in the parcel bomb plot uncovered Thursday.

Two portraits of prime suspect Al-Asiri issued by the Yemeni police Reuters/Yemeni Police/Handout

The parcel bomb, apparently made in Yemen and discovered in Britain on its way to the US, was routed through the west German city of Cologne.

“The German air authorities have orders to turn back all direct and indirect flights from Yemen,” a Transport Ministry spokesperson said.

Yemen itself is to “implement exceptional security measures on all cargo leaving Yemeni airports” the state news agency Saba said Monday.

Thousands of people rallied at Sanaa University to welcome medical student Hanan al-Samawi, who was freed after being detained because a mobile number found on the packages appeared to be linked to her.

Samawi has to remain available for questioning if needed.

The Hood rights group said that it had information that “all employees” from the Sanaa offices of the firms reportedly used to send the parcels - FedEx and UPS – had been detained for questioning.

In Washington a US official said that Al-Asiri, a 28-year-old alleged Al-Qaeda bomb-maker, had become the prime suspect in the plot inquiry.

Al-Asiri is believed to be hiding in Yemen. 

US investigators say he may have been involved in past attacks linked to Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, including the attempted assassination of a Saudi official and the failed Christmas Day bombing.