Yemen Says It Killed Militants as Three More Embassies Shut

Yemeni government forces killed two suspected Qaeda militants on Monday and wounded others in a firefight 25 miles north of the capital, Yemeni officials said, tying the militants to the continuing threats directed against the United States and British Embassies here.

Those embassies remained closed on Monday for a second day, and the French, German and Japanese embassies also closed.

The Yemeni forces were tracking Nazih al-Hanq, whom they suspected of belonging to the regional terrorist group Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, when they came under fire in the city of Arhab, the officials said. They said that two of Mr. Hanq’s bodyguards were killed and perhaps three others wounded, but that Mr. Hanq escaped in the area between the villages of Al Hanq and Beit Boussan.

Arhab was the site of one of several strikes against militants on Dec. 17 that came after American officials, working closely with Yemeni authorities, obtained information that four suicide bombers were aiming at Western targets in Yemen. The strikes killed three of the suspected bombers and damaged two Qaeda training camps.

More security forces were visible Monday on the streets of Sana, the capital, and Yemeni officials said security was tightened at airports and foreign embassies. Not all international activity has halted. The Japanese national soccer team is here to play a match in the Asian Cup qualifying round.

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