US evacuates embassy personnel from Yemen

The US Air Force early Tuesday evacuated some of the embassy staff out of the Yemeni capital Sanaa at the request of the State Department, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

"The US Department of Defence continues to have personnel on the ground in Yemen to support the US State Department and monitor the security situation," Pentagon spokesperson George Little said in a statement, reported Xinhua.

The State Department has issued a travel warning that says US citizens in Yemen should leave immediately because of an "extremely high" security threat.

The US Sunday announced the extended closure of 19 of its diplomatic missions in the Middle East and Africa in response to intelligence that al-Qaida group was planning terrorist attacks against Western interests.