The house sits on a lot that once held a home owned by Sheikh Mohammed al-Fassi, an in-law of the Saudi Arabian royal family.

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The search is linked to a young Saudi Arabian man in the United States on a student visa, the law enforcement source who spoke to CNN on Tuesday said.

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Ansar al-Sharia, or Partisans of Islamic law, was founded by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in response to the growing youth movement in Yemen, which has marginalised Salafi-jihadists who advocate the violent overthrow of the government.

BBC: Yemen unrest: Deadly attack on southern army base