Al-Qaida 'Plot' Reportedly Foiled in Yemen as French Embassy to Stay Closed until Next Week

Authorities have foiled a plot by al-Qaida militants to seize a Canadian-run oil terminal in Yemen and then kill or kidnap foreigners working there, the New York Times reported Wednesday.

The Times said the development was the first indication of the nature of an al-Qaida threat that prompted mass closings of U.S. diplomatic missions in the region from Sunday.

News that the plot had been disrupted coincided with reports of a fresh drone attack that killed seven people in southeastern Yemen, although it was not clear whether the two events were related, the Times said.

Yemeni security officials did not say how the plot was foiled.

But they told the Times al-Qaida operatives wearing Yemeni army uniforms planned to take control of the Canadian-run Mina al-Dhaba oil terminal on the Arabian Sea in the southeast of the country.

They then intended to kill or kidnap foreigners working there.

Meanwhile, France's embassy in the country will remain closed for at least four more days, the foreign ministry said Wednesday, over fears of an imminent al-Qaida attack.

"The French embassy in Sanaa will stay closed until August 11 inclusive," a ministry spokesman told reporters, adding that steps would be taken "to limit the presence of diplomatic personnel to a minimum."

French nationals in Yemen were advised not to travel and to stay aware of developments in the country.

France was among several Western nations to close their embassies in the Yemeni capital on August 4 after the United States issued a worldwide alert fearing a possible al-Qaida attack.

Yemen is the stronghold of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, the al-Qaida affiliate seen as the most capable of launching large scale attacks on western interests.