Yemeni security officials said Wednesday they had foiled a plot by al-Qaida to seize two important ports and capture oil and gas facilities early this week.
This comes a day after the U.S. and Britain moved to withdraw personnel from Yemen over concern for a possible terror threat, but the foiled plot did not appear to be related to that threat, according to another Yemeni official.
The official, who spoke on terms of anonymity, downplayed the report of the purported al-Qaida plot.
"These are ongoing threats to oil and gas installations in Yemen, and there's nothing specific linking these threats to the latest threat in Yemen," that official said.
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"[Al-Qaida] has neither the manpower nor the capabilities to capture ports or seize pipelines," the official said. "Security precautions are always in place regarding all oil installations and energy infrastructure in Yemen."
The threat of a potential al-Qaida attack remains, according to the U.S. State Department. Jen Psaki, spokeswoman for the department, said that because of that threat, the U.S. Embassy in Yemen will remain closed.
Yemen was under high alert after secret correspondence was intercepted between Ayman al-Zawahri, the leader of al-Qaida, and Nasser al-Wuhayshi, leader of the al-Qaida affiliate in Yemen. The correspondence was being used to carry out a large terrorist attack, American government officials said.
Yemeni security officials did not say how the plot had been disrupted, but that it would have involved al-Qaida operatives dressed as Yemeni soldiers seizing the Mina al-Dhaba oil terminal, then attacking, killing or kidnapping foreigners working there.
