国际英语新闻:U.S. evacuates non-essential embassy staff from Yemen over terror threat

WASHINGTON, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Air Force had flown some non-essential embassy staff out of the Yemeni capital Sanaa early on Tuesday at the request of the U.S. State Department, the Pentagon said.

The State Department issued a travel warning earlier in the day, ordering "the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel from Yemen due to the continued potential for terrorist attacks."

The department also advised U.S. citizens against traveling to the Arab nation and those living there to leave immediately, saying that "the security threat level in Yemen is extremely high. "

"The U.S. Department of Defense continues to have personnel on the ground in Yemen to support the U.S. State Department and monitor the security situation," Pentagon spokesman George Little said in a statement.

"As we have said, we are concerned about a threat stream indicating the potential for terrorist attacks against U.S. persons or facilities overseas, especially emanating from the Arabian Peninsula," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a separate statement.

"As such, the department is taking appropriate steps to protect our employees, including local employees and visitors to our facilities," she added.

The potential terrorist threat, based on intercepted communications purported to be between al-Qaida leader Ayman Zawahri and Nasser Wuhayshi, head of the Yemen-based Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, has prompted Washington to close 22 U.S. diplomatic missions in the Middle East region over the weekend.

The closure of 19 missions has been extended until this Saturday.