On August 6, 2013, the State Department ordered the evacuation of most of the U.S. Embassy in Yemen. The department has urged all Americans to leave the country after a threat from al-Qaeda, which triggered the shutdown of diplomatic outposts across the Muslim community and Africa.
On the same day, it was noticed that Air Force aircraft was flying Americans out of Yemen, when a suspected U.S drone was seen targeting a moving car in the nation’s Marib province. The incident killed four militants who were allegedly members of al-Qaeda. This was the fourth drone attack which targeted leaders of the group in less than two weeks. Officials from Yemen claimed that one of the dead is likely to be Saleh Jouti, who is a senior al-Qaeda member.
The State Department stated that all non-emergency U.S government personnel have to be evacuated due to the constant potential for terrorist attacks. In Yemen, the situation has been described as an extremely high security threat level and the US citizens have been advised to leave the country immediately.
The statement from the State Department said that staff levels at the Embassy have been restricted and their ability to assist US citizens in an emergency and provide regular services remain limited.
Photo Credits: The Journal
