(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-04-07 09:39

SANAA - An apparent mortar attack smashed windows at a complex housing Americans and other Westerners in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Sunday, but there were no casualties, a Yemeni security official said.

"There were three blasts believed to have been caused by mortar shells. There is broken glass, but no casualties," the official said, adding that the unknown attackers escaped.

Residents said earlier they saw police arriving outside the high-security area in the southwest of the capital of the Arab state, which has been the scene of frequent attacks by Islamic militants, disgruntled tribesmen and Shi'ite rebels.

An al Qaeda-linked group claimed responsibility for a failed mortar attack on the US embassy in Yemen last month that wounded girls at a nearby school and a group of soldiers.

The US State Department offered free flights out of Yemen to non-essential diplomats and family members after the attack.

The group had earlier claimed responsibility for deadly attacks on Spanish and Belgian tourists in the Arabian Peninsula country.

Yemen, the ancestral home of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, is viewed in the West as a haven for Islamic militants, dozens of whom are jailed for involvement in bombings of Western targets and clashes with authorities.

The oil-producing country joined US-led efforts to fight terrorism after the September 11, 2001, attacks on US cities and has itself witnessed a number of attacks targeting foreign tourists, oil installations, and US and French ships.