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Yemen crisis: US troops 'withdrawing from air base' | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
The US is withdrawing its military personnel from a base in Yemen due to growing insecurity, Yemeni sources say. | |
About 100 troops, including special forces, are said to be leaving an air base near a southern city that was stormed by al-Qaeda fighters on Friday. | |
The move comes a day after 137 people were killed by suicide bombers in the capital, Sanaa, in an attack claimed by Islamic State (IS) fighters. | |
The UN Security Council is holding an emergency meeting on Yemen on Sunday. | |
There are mounting tensions between various powerful, armed elements in Yemen, including Houthi rebels, al-Qaeda and IS. | There are mounting tensions between various powerful, armed elements in Yemen, including Houthi rebels, al-Qaeda and IS. |
The Security Council meeting was requested by Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, who fled to the southern port city of Aden after the capital was taken over by Houthis last month. | |
In a letter sent to the UN, President Hadi called for an "urgent intervention" to stop the aggression "that is aimed at undermining the legitimate authority", according to Reuters news agency. | |
US pulls out | |
Yemeni officials said US troops at the al-Anad air base were withdrawing after an offensive by al-Qaeda fighters on the nearby city of al-Houta - but this has not been confirmed by the US. | |
The militants were later pushed out of the city by Yemen's armed forces, officials said. | |
The US military personnel at the base had been training Yemeni fighters to support their fight against al-Qaeda. | |
The US closed its embassy in Sanaa in February after Houthi rebels took over the city. | |
On Friday, President Hadi demanded that the rebels withdraw from Sanaa in his first televised address since fleeing the city. | |
Soon after Mr Hadi spoke, the Houthis called for a general mobilisation of their forces against those loyal to the president. | Soon after Mr Hadi spoke, the Houthis called for a general mobilisation of their forces against those loyal to the president. |
Yemen is the base of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), a powerful offshoot of the jihadist group. | |
However, IS is also gaining ground after setting up a base there in November. | |
The suicide bombings on two mosques in the capital last week was the first attack in the country claimed by the group. | |
Both al-Qaeda and IS are Sunni groups and consider the Shia Muslim Houthis to be heretics. |