British embassy staff unhurt in shooting

British embassy staff in Yemen escaped unhurt today when local police were involved in a gun battle outside the building.

Ambassador Frances Jay said she believed one police officer was killed in the shoot-out but none of her staff was caught up in the violence in the capital Sana’a.

Ms Jay said: “There were no injuries among the British Embassy staff, but we can hear the bullets coming in our direction.”

She added: “The fight was triggered when the guards ordered a car to move away from the embassy premises, but the men in the car refused to comply,”

“They threatened the guards and dragged one of them to their car.

“As far as I know, at least one policeman was killed in the battle.”

A Foreign Office spokeswoman confirmed there were no injuries among the embassy employees.

In recent months supporters of al Qaida, the terrorist network believed to be behind the September 11 attacks, have claimed responsibility for a wave of bombings targeting security officials, government offices and foreign embassies in Yemen.

But a Yemeni security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he had no details on what set off today’s shooting.