Security fears close Yemen Embassy in Mogadishu

The Yemen Embassy in the Somali capital has been closed temporarily due to a security threat, an embassy spokeswoman said Thursday.


The embassy was shut down suddenly at 11.40 Pm. Wednesday after several mortars landed on the embassy's building during deadly fighting between Somali Government troops and islamist fighters.


All the staff were told to leave the embassy, the spokesman who declined to reveal his name told Mareeg.


''There is a security threat to the embassy, so we will be closed until further notice while we reassess our security posture,'' He said in a telephone interview.


Several eyewitnesses told Mareeg English service that quite a few of mortars aimed at the presidential fortress has been hit in the Yemeni embassy on Wednesday when the islamists fought with Somali troops.


The embassy some rather more staff. Only some security guards are still working inside the embassy.


It is not certain when the embassy, located in along the presidential palace where mortars fired by the islamists is beleaguered, will reopen after the spokesman said.


Somali Government, when contacted, said they were not aware of any security threat that would force the embassy to shut down.


Yemeni embassy is one of small numbers of embassies those don't perform their consulate work as intended the for security reasons.

To contact the reporter on this story: Abdi Guled in Moadishu via Mareeg at Abdi Guled