Houthi rebels seize US embassy vehicles

Local staff working at the US embassy in the Yemeni capital Sanaa said yesterday evening that Shia Houthi gunmen seized more than 20 vehicles belonging to the US embassy after the ambassador and diplomats left the country.

The US State Department confirmed late on Tuesday that it had closed its embassy in Yemen and evacuated its staff citing the deteriorating political and security situation there after Houthis rebels tightened their grip on most parts of the country.

A statement issued by State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki’s office said that “due to the unstable security situation is Sanaa, the State Department has decided to temporarily suspend the embassy operations and evacuate our staff out of Sanaa.”

Psaki said the decision follows “the recent unilateral acts that have hindered the political transition in Yemen and led to the risk of renewed violence that threaten Yemenis and the diplomatic community in Sanaa.”

The State Department also issued a warning to its citizens not to travel to Yemen and advised US nationals to leave the country.

However, US officials said yesterday that closing the embassy will not affect the counter-terrorism operations launched by the United States there against Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

AP quoted US officials as saying that the Marines guarding the embassy will leave too, but the US troops involved in counterterrorism missions in other parts of Yemen will not be affected by the decision.

Britain, France and Italy closed their embassies in Yemen and advised their nationals not to travel there.