Sana’a, Yemen. Photograph by Shoestring/Wikitravel
The UK is to close its embassy in Yemen on Sunday and Monday, with a number of other embassies across the Middle East told to be “vigilant” after the US issued a worldwide travel alert.
The embassy in Sana’a will be closed along with 21 US embassies and consulates after US intelligence services intercepted messages from al-Qaeda discussing possible attacks to coincide with the end of Ramadan. The British embassy was already operating with limited personnel due to security concerns, but the latest intelligence appears to have escalated the situation with the British government temporarily withdrawing a number of at-risk staff from the country.
There were two attacks against British embassy staff in 2010, killing one worker in October of that year, but the situation has been quieter for the last couple of years.
The Foreign Office currently “advise against all travel to the whole country” for all UK tourists and workers. On the FCO website, the advice states:
“There is a high threat from terrorism throughout Yemen. Terrorists continue to threaten further attacks. There is a very high threat of kidnap from armed tribes, criminals and terrorists. Be particularly vigilant during Ramadan, when tensions could be heightened.”
1 Comment
Hi,
Yemen: UK to Shut Embassy Amid Worldwide Terror Alert. It’s ironic that the poorest from poor is a “petri dish” of evil. We are doing something wrong.