An Al Qaeda splinter group launched a rocket attack on the U.S. embassy in Sanaa on Saturday, injuring several guards, to retaliate for what it said on social media was a U.S. drone strike in a northern province the day before.

The rocket landed 200 metres from the heavily fortified embassy, which lies in a compound surrounded by high walls, hitting members of the Yemeni special police force who guard the site. At least two were injured, police said.

The attacker fired the rocket from a M72 light anti-tank weapon from a car before speeding away, a police source told Reuters.

Several hours after the attack, Ansar al-Sharia, an affiliate of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), said on its Twitter account it had targeted the embassy with a rocket,

injuring several guards and damaging a vehicle.

On Friday, the United States told its citizens in Yemen to leave and said it was reducing the number of U.S. government staff there due to political unrest and fears of a possible military escalation.



Last Update: Wednesday, 20 May 2020 KSA 09:43 - GMT 06:43