The German Foreign Ministry has ordered the embassy in Yemen to be closed on Saturday, June 4, due to escalation of violence in the city. The embassy staff in the capital, Sanaa, has been instructed to leave the country as soon as possible.

"Even if fighting in Sanaa is not necessarily directed at foreigners, the dangerous situation has led the foreign ministry to make this decision," the ministry said in a statement regarding the embassy closure.

Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle repeated an appeal to Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh to protect his citizens.

"We're calling for an orderly transfer of power with peaceful, communal dialogue and reform," Westerwelle said in a statement on the ministry's website.

German citizens had been cautioned against traveling to Yemen since February as civil unrest continued to spread.

EU citizens leaving Yemen

Europe has asked Saleh to step aside

Germany wasn't the only country concerned for its citizens in Yemen. Overnight on Friday, British Foreign Secretary William Hague urged all British nationals to leave Yemen immediately.

"Given that we cannot expect forewarning of any airport closures, British nationals should not wait to leave," Hague said in a statement. "We have already said that in such a difficult security situation it is extremely unlikely the British government will be able to evacuate British nationals."

The European Union's foreign affairs chief, Catherine Ashton, said the increasing violence had forced the activation of a mechanism to evacuate all EU citizens from Yemen.

"I deplore the loss of so many lives and that so many have been injured," Ashton said. "I have urged repeatedly President Saleh to listen to the demands of the Yemeni people and transfer power. The only answer to the current situation is an immediate and genuine commitment to a peaceful and orderly transition."

"In agreement with the presidency, I have activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to help facilitate the evacuation of EU citizens who wish to leave," Ashton said, adding that the EU was "constantly evaluating the situation and recommending action on all fronts."

Attack hits presidential palace

Sanaa has become increasingly dangerous

The repeated calls for evacuations and the closure of the German embassy came a day after a rocket attack on President Saleh's compound injured him and several others while killing seven.

Yemen's prime minister, the president's top security adviser, and the two heads of parliament were also injured. Saleh was reported to have arrived in Saudi Arabia early late on Saturday for the treatment of injuries sustained in the attack.

After the attack, Saleh said he was well and blamed rebel tribesmen for the shelling. Sheik Sadiq al-Ahmar, who is leading a tribal confederation seeking to depose Saleh, denied responsibility for the attack.

"The Ahmar (tribe) have crossed all red lines," ruling GPC party spokesman Tariq al-Shami said.

Saleh in his message hit out at "the sons of al-Ahmar," a reference to Sheikh Sadiq and his brothers, and called on "the security forces to purge state institutions of these gangs."

Saleh, who has been in power since 1978, has faced nationwide protests against his rule for the past four months. Some 350 people have been killed in the violence, at least 135 of which have died in the past 10 days.

Author: Matt Zuvela, Darren Mara (AFP, Reuters)

Editor: Toma Tasovac