Paris: French President Francois Hollande said on Saturday that France would close its embassy in Yemen over security fears for "several days", after Germany and Britain took the same precaution.
"We are informed directly and indirectly of threats concerning our installations overseas and even our nationals, threats coming from al Qaeda," Hollande said.
"I have already decided to close the French embassy in Yemen because there we have elements suggesting extremely serious threats. ... So this embassy will be closed for several days," Hollande said in a statement.
A Foreign Ministry spokesman had earlier told a news agency the embassy would be shut only tomorrow and the day after.
The United States had issued a worldwide alert yesterday warning of plans by al Qaeda to launch an attack in the Middle East or North Africa in August.
AFP