Yemen's Houthi rebels holding wanted Norwegian 'Al-Qaeda member': report

A Norwegian citizen who allegedly became a member of Al-Qaeda in Yemen has been arrested in Yemen by the country's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, Norwegian broadcaster NRK said on Monday.

According to the report, Anders Cameroon Østensvig Dale is being held in a hospital in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. He is sought at home on suspicion of terrorism and was put on a blacklist by the United States.

Norwegian prosecutor Haris Hrenovica with the Norwegian security service PST said the suspect's hospital detention "makes us believe that there is an injury". It was unclear when and how he was apprehended and there was no immediate confirmation from the Houthis.

The broadcaster claimed Ostensvig Dale converted to Islam in 2008 and visited Yemen several times before eventually allegedly joining Al-Qaeda’s branch there, known as Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

According to NRK, he left Norway for good in 2011. Three years later, PST suspected him of taking part in a terror organisation and he was sought internationally.

Hrenovica told NRK that there could be "challenges" to having Østensvig Dale extradited to Norway because of the Houthis, who control Sanaa and much of northern Yemen.

The rebels have been at war since 2015 with a Saudi-led coalition that has been trying to restore Yemen's internationally recognised government to power. Both sides have been accused of perpetrating grave violations by rights groups.