Britain closes its embassy in Yemen because of Saadah conditions

The British foreign office closed its embassy in Yemen for an undetermined time after receiving security threats.

The embassy suspended all operations in Yemen on Friday and it gave no details on the threat which caused the closure.

A spokesman for the British foreign office said that the embassy will remain close as from today as a preventive measure. The spokesman warned the British from going to Saadah which has been witnessing violent confrontations in the two last days between the Yemeni security forces and rebels in the northern parts of the country.

The British foreign office announced that the embassy received confidential information on " standing threats to the western interests in the country." It added that the danger of terror on travelers is high and they have to be very cautious. In January the British embassy closed for a while following a similar warning.

The spokesman for the embassy did not give a date to re-opening the embassy. He said " we still monitor the security conditions. The security of our employees is above all consideration." In 2003, Yemen announced foiling a plan to attack the two American and British embassies in the capital Sanaa.

Scores of supporters of Bader eddine al-Houthi attacked the city after the killing of 70 of their friends during two days of violent clashes with the government forces. More than 30 police and army members were killed or wounded in the two day clashes in Yemen. N.