A man claiming to be a member of al Qaeda addresses a crowd in Yemen's southern province in December.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- U.S. Embassy in Yemen shuts down due to ongoing terror threats
- British Embassy also closes Sunday due to security concerns
- Attempted bombing of U.S.-bound plane reportedly linked to al Qaeda unit based in Yemen
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(CNN) -- The United States and Britain announced Sunday they have closed their embassies in Yemen because of security concerns.
A U.S. news release cited ongoing threats by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to attack American interests in Yemen.
The U.S. announcement, which was made on the embassy's Web site, did not say when the embassy would reopen.
The British Foreign Office said it would make a decision whether to reopen on Monday.
On December 31, the U.S. embassy alerted Americans in Yemen to stay on alert for possible terrorist violence.
Both moves follow a Christmas Day bombing attempt aboard a Northwest flight bound for Detroit, Michigan, from Amsterdam, Netherlands. On Saturday, President Obama linked the bombing suspect to an al Qaeda affiliate based in Yemen.
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