US reopens embassy in Yemen

The US has reopened its embassy in Yemen after nearly two weeks of closure following terrorism threats.

"The US embassy in Sanaa reopened its door Sunday... and started to conduct consular transactions Tuesday," Xinhua quoted Yemeni government spokesman Mohammed Albasha as saying Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the US State Department too said Wednesday in a statement on its website that its embassy in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa was reopened Sunday.

The embassy would "provide limited public services", State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

On Aug 4, the US State Department ordered the closure of 22 diplomatic missions across the Middle East and North Africa due to potential terrorist threats based on intercepted communications between Al Qaeda leader Ayman Zawahri and Nasser al-Wuhayshi, head of the Yemen-based Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

The US reopened 18 of the 19 embassies and consulates Aug 9, but the embassy in Sanaa remained closed due to concerns about a threat stream indicating potential terrorist attacks by the AQAP.

Britain and Germany officially announced Sunday the reopening of their embassies in Sanaa after 12 days of closure due to security threats.

The Yemeni government has boosted security presence around the Western embassies in the capital as a precautionary measure since the US and Britain temporarily evacuated their diplomatic staff from Sanaa.