As a sign of al-Qaeda's growing influence in Yemen, the extremist group flogged ten people in public for insulting God and consuming alcohol, AFP reported Friday.
An official said the men were whipped in the coastal town of al-Shihr in in Hadramawt province. Dozens of people attended the flogging, and witnesses said the men screamed out in pain as they were given between 80 and 100 lashes.
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has been in control of the provincial capital of Mukalla since April and control other parts of the Hadramawt province, where they regularly interfere with residents' daily lives, according to AFP.
The US often targets the militant group with drone strikes, while al-Qaeda has taken advantage of conflict in Yemen to gain territory.
