US calls for release of Yemeni president

The US Wednesday called for immediate release of Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his cabinet ministers currently under house arrest by the Shia Houthi group which now controls capital Sanaa.

"An inclusive political process cannot resume with members of the country's leadership under house arrest," a US State Department statement said. "The future of Yemen should be determined by the Yemeni people. All Yemenis have both a right and responsibility to participate in this process peacefully."

The State Department confirmed late Tuesday that it has suspended its embassy operation and evacuated its embassy staff out of Sanaa due to the "uncertain security situation" there, Xinhua news agency reported.

Yet US officials said that the embassy closure would not affect US counter-terrorism operations there.

Yemen's security situation deteriorated since January, when the Shia Houthi group seized the presidential palace in Sanaa following deadly clashes with presidential guards.

Yemen is a predominant power base for Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which claimed responsibility for last month's deadly attacks on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.