Yemen says it has foiled an al-Qaeda plot to blow up oil pipelines and seize some of the country's main ports. Security remains tight and hundreds of armoured vehicles have been deployed to protect key sites.
Both the US and UK have withdrawn diplomatic staff from Yemen, prompted by intelligence reports of renewed terrorist activity. The US is reported to be preparing special operations forces for possible strikes against al-Qaeda in Yemen. Suspected US drone strikes killed seven alleged al-Qaeda
militants in Yemen on Wednesday - the fifth such strikes in less than
two weeks. The drones also destroyed two vehicles in the town of Nasab, in the southern province of Shabwa.
'Audacious plot' The threat picture in Yemen grows ever murkier. First came the
hurried withdrawal of nearly all the Western diplomatic corps from the
country on Tuesday, prompted by fears of a major al-Qaeda attack against
US or Western embassies and their staff. Now the Yemeni authorities have announced what appears to be a
separate plot by al-Qaeda to target Yemen's own government
installations, including ports, pipelines and the military. The hard
part is distinguishing this from the ongoing, underlying threat from
all-Qaeda and other militants that exists anyway, throughout the year. Yemen has long been troubled by disgruntled tribesmen blowing
up pipelines that run through their territory, or kidnapping foreigners
to pressure the government for economic concessions. But since the Arab Spring upheavals, al-Qaeda in Yemen has
profited from a security vacuum in remoter provinces and continues to
try to stage spectacular attacks. Yemeni government spokesman Rajeh
Badi said the plot involved blowing up oil pipelines and taking control
of certain cities - including two ports in the south, one of which
accounts for the bulk of Yemen's oil exports and is where a number of
foreign workers are employed. "There were attempts to control key cities in Yemen like Mukala and Bawzeer," said Mr Badi. "This would be co-ordinated with attacks by al-Qaeda members
on the gas facilities in Shebwa city and the blowing up of the gas pipe
in Belhaf city." Al-Qaeda members dressed as soldiers were to be outside the
ports, he said. On a given signal they were to invade the facility and
take it over. Yemeni officials quoted by AP news agency said they believed
the motive for the planned attacks was retaliation for the killing of
senior al-Qaeda figure Said al-Shihri, who was critically wounded in a
November drone strike and later died of his injuries.
Security blitz Tanks and troops have surrounded foreign missions, government
offices and the airport, and senior officials are being advised to
limit their movements. "Everybody is feeling that there is something going on, but nobody knows what is going on exactly," she said. Both the US, which closed 20 embassies worldwide on Sunday,
and the UK have withdrawn diplomatic staff from Yemen and urged their
citizens to leave.
US and UK nationals are leaving Sanaa on advice from their embassies The US embassy and consulate closures reportedly followed
intercepted conversations between two senior al-Qaeda figures, including
top leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, suggesting terrorist attacks. According to the New York Times, the US intercepted
communications between Zawahiri and the group's head in Yemen, Nasser
al-Wuhayshi.
The paper said the conversation represented one of the most serious plots since the 9/11 attacks.The Yemeni government spokesman said the international community "feared the reaction of al-Qaeda" and added: "We understand such fears." But the foreign ministry has criticised the embassy withdrawals, saying it "serves the interests of the extremists". US special forces Sources have told BBC Newsnight that the US is preparing special operations forces for possible strike operations against al-Qaeda in Yemen. Although the US has previously sent special forces to train counter-terrorist units, there are now suggestions that the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), may be preparing units for strike operations, the sources said.
JSOC co-operates closely with the CIA, which has mounted four drone strikes in Yemen over the past 10 days. Yemen is the base of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and both the White House and the US state department have said the current threat comes from AQAP but have refused to divulge further details.