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Russian Navy's ship evacuates consulate staff, 20 Russians from Yemen's Aden after attack

The Russian Consulate General in Aden was attacked and looted by Shiite rebels on Wednesday

/TASS/. A Russian Navy ship has evacuated the consulate staff and another 20 Russians living in Yemen from the port of Aden to Djibouti, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Thursday.

"On March 31, staff of the Russian Consulate General together with 20 Russian citizens permanently residing in the country, as well as citizens of CIS countries and representatives of other states who decided to leave Yemen, were evacuated from Yemen's second city of Aden to Djibouti on board a ship of the Russian Navy," the ministry said in a statement.

The Russian Consulate General in Aden has suspended operations. "Fierce fighting is underway in the city. According to media reports, our general consulate and other vacant buildings have been looted," the Foreign Ministry said.

The Russian Consulate General in Aden was attacked and looted by Shiite rebels. According to the Huna Aden news portal, armed groups of Houthi rebels and allies of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh attacked on Wednesday the Consulate General, breaking the doors open, seizing property and office equipment. Eyewitnesses say the attackers took equipment and documents out of the building, loaded them into vehicles and drove away.

Earlier reports said the Russian Consulate General in Aden had been damaged in airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition. Sources in Aden say that reportedly there were no diplomats in the building during the attack. The Russian Embassy to Yemen has refused to comment on the situation to TASS, saying only that the embassy has been working in an emergency mode for the past three days.