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US marines destroy weapons before leaving US embassy in Yemen

The officers of the CIA and military intelligence who were carrying out operations against Al-Qaeda had to evacuate Sanaa along with diplomats as the security situation in the city deteriorated
Police troopers standing guard at the entrance of the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa, Yemen AP Photo/Hani Mohammed
Police troopers standing guard at the entrance of the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa, Yemen
© AP Photo/Hani Mohammed

WASHINGTON, February, 12. /TASS/. US marines guarding the American embassy in Yemen have destroyed all their weapons before leaving Sanaa in order not to hand them over to Shiite Houthi rebels who have seized power in the country.

“Specifically, each bolt was removed from its weapons body and rendered inoperable by smashing with sledgehammers. The weapons bodies, minus the bolts, were then separately smashed with sledgehammers,” the commandant of the US Marine Corps reports. “To be clear: No Marine handed a weapon to a Houthi, or had one taken from him,” the statement says.

Earlier that day the State Department claimed that after US diplomats’ evacuation from Yemen the Jund Ansar Allah organization seized the vehicles and equipment from US embassy in Sanaa. “We certainly are requesting they be returned,” US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

According to her, the US ceased functioning of the US embassy because of an uncertain security situation in Sanaa. Nevertheless US keep in touch with the Yemeni party and hope to restart the diplomatic mission functioning.

Meanwhile Washington Post newspaper reported on Wednesday that the officers of the Central Intelligence Agency and military intelligence having launched a military operation against the AQAP group in Yemen had to leave Sanaa along with diplomats. According to experts this situation has undermined greatly the efforts in the fight against terrorism.

Meanwhile, Barak Obama’s administration urges all Yemeni political forces to solve the disagreements through a national dialogue based on the initiative of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions and the country’s laws.

In addition, Washington speaks in favor of all the former Yemeni leaders’ immediate discharge. According to Jen Psaki, an inclusive policy process cannot be restarted while all the political administration of the country is grounded.