Yemen al Qaeda escapee surrenders - state Web site

SANAA, Apr 23 (Reuters) An al Qaeda militant who escaped from a Yemeni prison has surrendered, a Yemeni state-run Web site said today.

The man was one of 23 inmates who tunnelled out of jail in Sanaa in February. The Web site (www.26sept.com) said the surrender of Khaled al-Batati raises to eight the number of escapees back in custody.

The fugitives include the leaders of the 2000 bombing of the US warship Cole and the 2002 attack on the French supertanker Limburg as well as a Yemeni-American wanted by the United States.

The jailbreak embarrassed Yemen's government, which is battling Islamist militants, and raised questions about the Arab state's security measures among its Western allies.

The government has offered a 25,500 dollar reward for information leading to the arrest of any of the fugitives.

REUTERS SHB BST2340