Washington urges security for diplomatic staff in Yemen

Washington is troubled by reports of Yemeni President Hadi and his cabinet's resignation and called for all sides to avoid violence and ensure safety of diplomatic community, the U.S. State Department said on Thursday.

"The safety and security of U.S. personnel is our top priority in Yemen. We are evaluating the security on the ground on an ongoing basis," said a statement by the State Department, urging all parties to abide by commitments to the security of the diplomatic community, including American personnel.

The U.S. Embassy in Yemen remains open and will continue to operate although with thinner staffing, said a senior U.S. State Department official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi on Thursday night submitted his resignation to the parliament amid standoff with the Shiite Houthi group who control the capital, one day after a peace deal signed between the government and the militant group.

In a statement obtained by Xinhua, the Yemeni parliament on Thursday night rejected Hadi's resignation and called for holding an emergency session on Sunday to resolve the crisis.

Yemen is a predominant power base for Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which claimed responsibility for this month's deadly attacks on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. Endi