SANAA, Yemen (AP) - Military and intelligence officials in Yemen said Wednesday they uncovered an al-Qaida plot to fire missiles at foreign embassies in the capital and to attack naval forces guarding international shipping in the Red Sea.
Details of the plot, which was reminiscent of the suicide attack on the USS Cole in 2000 that killed 17 American sailors, emerged as Yemen remains in a heightened state of alert that has seen the U.S. and British embassies evacuated and a new suspected U.S. drone strike that killed seven alleged militants from the terrorist group.
The discovery of the al-Qaida plot prompted the Defense Ministry to step up security around the strategic Bab el-Mandeb waterway, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Officials banning speedboats or fishing vessels from the area, and military forces have been ordered to shoot to kill anybody who arouses suspicion or refuses to identify themselves.
Defense Minister Minister Gen. Mohammed Nasser Ahmed reportedly visited the area Sunday and urged the forces, known as Battalion 117, to stay on high alert for possible suicide attacks.
An estimated 3.5 million barrels of oil passed daily in 2010 through the Bab el-Mandeb strait, increasing the strategic importance of impoverished Yemen, which itself has only a relatively small production of oil and natural gas. Revenue from oil and gas production is declining, hurting Yemen's ability to provide social services.
The militants from the terrorist group's Yemeni branch - known as al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula - also were said to be plotting to use long-range missiles to target embassies and diplomats' residences, or try to take foreigners as hostages.
Ahmed urged the forces to stay "on alert against any sabotage operations aiming at destabilizing the country," according to the officials.
Drastic security measures have been instituted across Sanaa, with multiple checkpoints set up, and tanks and other military vehicles guarding vital institutions.
In Sanaa, an AP reporter said a drone buzzed over the capital for hours during the day.
Residents speak of their fears about possible terrorist attacks, although life is going on as normal, with shoppers buying new clothes and food for the four-day Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr.