US embassy in Yemen to close

                                   

Sanaa/Aden/Dubai/Riyadh: The United States is closing its embassy in Yemen, where a rebel group has seized control of the capital, embassy employees and a US official in Washington said on Tuesday.

Employees of the embassy in Sanaa said the US mission had been getting rid of documents and weapons and staff had been leaving the capital over the past days with a view of closing down completely by Wednesday.

The ambassador had informed them that Washington may ask the Turkish or Algerian embassies in Sanaa to look after US interests in the country while the embassy was closed.

"The ambassador and the rest of the staff will leave by Wednesday evening," one employee, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.

Employees at the British, French and German embassies said their missions had also been getting rid of documents and have given local staff two months' paid leave.

But there was no immediate word on the missions closing down.

Hadi confined
The US embassy had reduced its staff after minority sect rebels from the Houthi movement moved against President Abedrabbu Mansour Hadi last month, capturing his presidential office and confining him to his private residence.

Hadi and his government subsequently resigned.

On Sunday, the US embassy said on its website it had "suspended all consular services until further notice", citing the security situation in Sanaa.

Meanwhile, Houthi rebel group leader said on Tuesday is was in everyone's interests to restore stability to the country.

"This is an important, large country, rich in resources which its people don't benefit from and has a very, very important geographic position.

It's in the interest of every power, domestic and foreign, to stabilise this country," Abdel Malik Al Houthi said in a televised speech.

Earlier, a female doctor from Tajikistan kidnapped three months ago in was freed, her country's embassy in Saudi Arabia said.

Gul Rukhsor, in her mid-30s, will return to Tajikistan, said a diplomat at the mission who did not want to be named.

"She's OK," he added.

The woman had been working at a hospital in Marib in eastern Yemen.

Also on Tuesday, Four suspected Al Qaeda fighters were killed Tuesday in a drone strike in Hadramawt province in southeastern Yemen, a military source said.

He said the drone, which only the United States operates in the region, targeted "a gathering of Al Qaeda fighters" between the village of Qatan and the town of Shibam, killing four and wounding several others.