Sanaa: an explosion near the American embassy

Police and eye-witnesses said that a strong explosion took place in an area neighboring the American embassy in Sanaa on Monday but no casualties were reported.

A police official told reporters that the explosion which took place inside the courtyard building complex for the engineering department in the Yemeni army at the Sa'wan residential area, facing the embassy, resulted in a dynamite explosive.

The Yemeni official gave no explanation for the incident but said that "no body was hit in the explosion and that the authorities started investigations to know the implications of the matter." However, it has not become clear whether this explosion relates to threats the American embassy in Sanaa received in the mid of January and then forced it to suspend its consulate services.