New Delhi:
With terror links traced to Yemen, UN chief Ban Ki-moon expressed concern about Al Qaida's presence in that country and lent support to UK Premier Gordon Brown's initiative to bring together world leaders to combat the fresh challenge on Tuesday.
"The Secretary-General was appreciative of the initiative by Prime Minister Brown and welcomed it. The focus of the conference is on counter-terrorism," UN spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters.
"He expressed concerns about the violence in parts of Yemen and the presence of Al-Qaida in the country," he said, noting that Ban Ki-moon was also worried about "humanitarian situation" in the country and sought an assurance that Yemen's President was also involved in preparation of the conference on January 28.
The world attention shifted to Yemen as a new anti-terror front, after Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula claimed responsibility for a failed attempt to bomb a US plane.
While Nesirky did not confirm whether UN planned to close its offices in the country, he stressed that the world body took the matter seriously and is reviewing security on the ground.
Last year, UN offices were targeted by militants in Pakistan and Afghanistan killing staffers in both countries.
Meanwhile, the US embassy in Yemen re-opened on Tuesday following a two-day closure prompted by a terror threat.