Yemen's al-Qaida branch vows revenge over Saudi executions

FILE - In this March 31, 2019 file photo, Saudi Arabia's King Salman attends the opening session of the 30th Arab League summit in Tunis, Tunisia. Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry said Tuesday, April 23, 2019, that 37 Saudi citizens have been beheaded in a mass execution that took place across various regions of the country. King Salman ratified the executions for terrorism-related crimes by royal decree. (Fethi Belaid/Pool Photo via AP, File)

FILE - In this March 22, 2018 file photo, an Honor Guard member is covered by the flag of Saudi Arabia as Defense Secretary Jim Mattis welcomes Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the Pentagon with an Honor Cordon, in Washington Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry said Tuesday, April 23, 2019, that 37 Saudi citizens have been beheaded in a mass execution that took place across various regions of the country. Saudi King Salman ratified the executions for terrorism-related crimes by royal decree. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)

Al-Qaida in Yemen is vowing to avenge beheadings carried out by Saudi Arabia this week — an indication that some of the 37 Saudis executed on terrorism-related charges were members of the Sunni militant group.

Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, as the branch is called, posted a statement on militant-linked websites on Friday, accusing the kingdom of offering the blood of the "noble children of the nation just to appease America."

The statement says al-Qaida will "never forget about their blood and we will avenge them."

U.S. ally Saudi Arabia on Tuesday executed 37 suspects convicted on terrorism-related charges. Most were believed to be Shiites but at least one was believed to be a Sunni militant.

His body was pinned to a pole in public as a warning to others.