WASHINGTON, January 23 (Sputnik) — The US State Department continues to reduce the number of people working at the US Embassy in the capital of Yemen Sana’a because of the unstable and dangerous situation on the ground, Senior State Department Official said.
“In response to the changing security situation in Yemen, the United States Embassy in Sana’a has further reduced its American personnel working in Yemen. Our Embassy in Sana’a has been on ordered departure since last September,” State Department said in a press release.
Tensions broke in Yemen last Saturday after the rebels kidnapped Yemeni President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi’s chief of staff and two of his guards. According to media reports, Hadi resigned Thursday amid the ongoing clashes with Shiite militia across the Yemeni capital.
On January 20, Pentagon announced that two US Navy ships moved into the Red Sea to help with any potential evacuation of US Embassy officials, if the Department of State decides that the security situation in Sana’a is dangerous for the personnel.
The State Department announced ordered departure of US non-emergency government officials from Yemen in August 2013, because of a persistent threat of terrorist attacks. Prior to that, in March 2012, the Embassy of the United States in Sana’a issued a warning to American citizens of the high security threat level in Yemen due to terrorist activities and civil unrest.
