Fears of an al-Qaeda linked attack have placed Yemen's security forces on high alert, with tanks and tropps surrounding foreign missions, government offices and the airport in the capital city of Sanaa.
Both the US and the UK have withdrawn diplomatic staff from Yemen and urged their citizens to leave.
The Guardian reports that "Yemeni tribal sources and unnamed officials had reported two US drone strikes that killed four al-Qaida operatives in Marib, north-east of Sana'a, including a senior commander who was named by al-Jazeera as Salah al-Jumati."
The US's Middle-East embassy closures and travel alerts were reportedly in reaction to intercepted conversations between two senior al-Qaeda figures suggesting renewed attacks.
BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner writes:
Both the US and the UK have withdrawn diplomatic staff from Yemen and urged their citizens to leave.
The Guardian reports that "Yemeni tribal sources and unnamed officials had reported two US drone strikes that killed four al-Qaida operatives in Marib, north-east of Sana'a, including a senior commander who was named by al-Jazeera as Salah al-Jumati."
The US's Middle-East embassy closures and travel alerts were reportedly in reaction to intercepted conversations between two senior al-Qaeda figures suggesting renewed attacks.
BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner writes:
"Washington considers Al-Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula (AQAP) to be by far the most dangerous to the West because it has both technical skills and global reach."
"For the West, AQAP presents three dangers: locally, to western embassies and citizens in Yemen; inspirationally, to potential jihadists around the world through its online magazine Inspire and globally, by putting bombs on planes."
