Ottawa Warns Canadians in Yemen to Leave while they Can

OTTAWA – Mar 7, 2011- Ottawa is warning Canadians against all travel to Yemen where clashes between government forces and protesters have turned violent.

The foreign affairs department updated its travel advisory on Sunday saying Canadians who are in the country should seriously consider leaving while commercial means are still available.

The travel advisory said the level of risk is very high and Canadian officials may not be able to provide consular assistance to Canadians in some parts of the country.

Yemen was hit by a wave of anti-government rallies in mid-February with protesters calling for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down after 32 years in power.

Al-Qaida is also very active in Yemen and several foiled terror attacks in the United States and elsewhere have been traced back to operatives based in the country.

Citing terrorism and civil unrest, the U.S. government on Sunday advised Americans not to travel to Yemen and said Americans in the impoverished Arab nation should leave.

The Canadian Press