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US And UK Remove Staff From Yemen Amid Terror Threat

Jacqueline Jackson |
August 6, 2013 | 11:28 a.m. PDT

Executive Producer

U.S. Embassy | WGNTV
U.S. Embassy | WGNTV
The United States and United Kingdom have removed diplomatic staff from Yemen and urged their citizens to leave due to recent concerns over security threats.

This follows the sudden closure of 20 US embassies and consulates on Sunday after conversations were intercepted between two senior al-Qaeda figures which included Ayman al-Zawahiri.

According to CNN sources US drone strikes killed al-Qaeda militants in Yemen on Tuesday. The strikes killed four al-Qaeda militants none of which were among the 25 names on the country's most-wanted list.

The U.S. issued a global alert on Tuesday which insisted that citizens should avoid traveling to Yemen and those currently in Yemen or the surrounding area should leave immediately. The alert read:

" The U.S. Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the high security threat level in Yemen due to terrorist activities and civil unrest. The Department urges U.S. citizens to defer travel to Yemen and those U.S. citizens currently living in Yemen to depart immediately.

On August 6, 2013, the Department of State ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel from Yemen due to the continued potential for terrorist attacks. 

U.S. citizens currently in Yemen should depart. As staff levels at the Embassy are restricted, our ability to assist U.S. citizens in an emergency and provide routine consular services remains limited and may be further constrained by the fluid security situation. This supersedes the Travel Warning for Yemen issued on July 16, 2013."

BBC reported that the Yemeni capital has been experiencing unprecedented security measures with hundreds of armored vehicles deployed. Intelligent services in Yemeni confirmed that dozens of al-Qaeda members had arrived in Sanna over the past few days.

A number of diplomatic posts will remain closed until Saturday as further investigation into the threats are conducted throughout the week.

Watch Coverage of the Closure Below

Reach Executive Producer Jacqueline Jackson here. Follow her here.



 

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