This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/28/world/middleeast/yemeni-rebels-attack-officials-home.html

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Yemeni Rebels Fire at U.S. Embassy Yemeni Rebels Fire at U.S. Embassy
(about 3 hours later)
SANA, Yemen — A splinter group of Al Qaeda fired a rocket toward the United States Embassy in Sana on Saturday, wounding local guards. In a post on Twitter, the group said the attack was carried out to retaliate for what it said was an American drone strike in a northern province on Friday. SANA, Yemen — A splinter group of Al Qaeda said that it fired a rocket that landed near the United States Embassy in Sana on Saturday, wounding several guards, to retaliate for what it said was an American drone strike in a northern province of Yemen on Friday.
The rocket landed about 200 yards from the heavily fortified embassy, which is in a compound surrounded by high walls, wounding at least two members of the Yemeni special police force who guard the site, the police said. The State Department said that it had no indication that the embassy was the target of the attack, and that none of its staff members were wounded.
The rocket was fired from an M72 light antitank weapon from a car before speeding away, a police official said. The rocket landed about 200 yards from the heavily fortified embassy, near members of the Yemeni special police force who guard the site. At least two were wounded, the police said. It was fired from a car using a M72 light antitank weapon, a police official said.
Several hours after the attack, Ansar al-Shariah, an affiliate of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, said on its Twitter account that it had targeted the embassy with a rocket, wounding several guards and damaging a vehicle. Several hours after the attack, Ansar al-Shariah, an affiliate of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, said on its Twitter account that it had targeted the embassy with a rocket, wounding several guards and damaging a vehicle. The group said the attack was an act of revenge for a drone strike on Friday that had seriously wounded children in the northern province of Al Jawf.
The group said the attack was revenge for a drone strike on Friday that had seriously wounded children in the northern province of Al Jawf. Tribal officials confirmed that a drone strike killed two Qaeda members and wounded two more in Al Jawf on Friday, and said that there were reports of some children having been wounded.
Tribal officials said a drone strike killed two Qaeda members and wounded two more in Al Jawf on Friday, and that there were reports of some children having been wounded. American officials acknowledge that the United States uses drones in Yemen, but they do not comment publicly on the practice.
The United States regularly uses drones to attack Islamist militants in countries like Yemen as part of a strategy to combat Qaeda militants without putting troops on the ground. Sana, Yemen’s capital, is already in a state of turmoil after Shiite Muslim rebels seized control of much of the city last week, hours before the signing of an accord for the creation of a new government. Despite a declared cease-fire, clashes between the rebels, known as the Houthis, and security forces in Sana have continued since the accord was signed.
American officials acknowledge using drones in Yemen but do not comment publicly on the practice.
The United States Embassy in Yemen had said earlier on social media that it had no reason to believe that it was the target of the attack and that the Yemeni government was looking into the situation.
The attack came a day after the United States told its citizens to leave Yemen and said it was reducing the number of American government staff members there because of political unrest and fears of a possible military escalation.
President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi has said Yemen may be heading for civil war.
In recent weeks there have been regular clashes between Shiite rebels and government forces in Sana, the capital. The rebels, known as the Houthis, seized control of the capital last week hours before the signing of an accord for the creation of a new government. Despite a declared cease-fire, clashes between the rebels and security forces in Sana have continued since the accord was signed.
Analysts have said that the Houthis’ control over the capital makes them the main power brokers in Yemen.Analysts have said that the Houthis’ control over the capital makes them the main power brokers in Yemen.
The embassy compound was stormed in 2012 by demonstrators angry at a film made in the United States that they saw as blasphemous. Earlier on Saturday, the rebels attacked the home of Yemen’s intelligence chief in Sana, evidence of the fragility the power-sharing accord.
The attempted attack on the embassy comes a day after the United States told its citizens to leave Yemen, and said that it was reducing the number of its government employees in the country because of the political unrest and fears of a possible military escalation. President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi has expressed his concern that Yemen may be heading for civil war.
The American Embassy in Yemen has been the target of several attacks in recent years, including one in 2008 by militants affiliated with Al Qaeda.
In 2012, demonstrators angry at a film made in the United States that they considered blasphemous tried to storm the compound, and in May this year, the embassy said armed individuals had tried to kidnap two of its officers in Sana.