BROOKLYN, N.Y. (CN) - The United States on Tuesday unsealed charges against Yemeni nationals they say conspired to kill Americans abroad and to help al-Qaida.
The criminal federal complaint, first filed in April 2009, accuses Saddiq Al-Abbadi, 36, and Ali Alvi, 30, of attacking U.S. forces in Afghanistan between 2003 and 2007.
Al-Abbadi also fought American forces in Iraq, according to a statement on the charges Tuesday by U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch.
Prosecutors say the men went to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan to train with al-Qaida, and even helped an American enter the camp to fight against U.S. troops in both Afghanistan and the United States.
The two men then traveled to Afghanistan to attack U.S. military personnel in the spring and summer of 2008, Lynch said.
Al-Abbadi allegedly led a battle against American forces in the Paktya Provence in May 2008, which left a U.S. Army Ranger dead and several other Americans injured.
Both men face up to life in prison if convicted.
Read the Top 8
Sign up for the Top 8, a roundup of the day's top stories delivered directly to your inbox Monday through Friday.
