Asia-Pacific

Russia sends planes to evacuate nationals from Yemen

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-06-12 22:18

MOSCOW - Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry sent two planes to Yemen on Sunday to evacuate its nationals wanting to leave the violence-wracked Gulf nation.

The ministry said an Ilyushin IL-76 plane and a Yakovlev YAK-42 were dispatched to Yemen and would return to Moscow on Monday.

A number of Russian diplomats and their families have already been evacuated from the country as government troops continue to battle Islamic militants.

The Russian Foreign Ministry says that about 198 Russian nationals live in Yemen.

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was seriously wounded last week when opposition forces struck his compound, for the past four months has faced nationwide protests against his 33-year rule. Saleh had to be taken to Saudi Arabia for urgent medical treatment after the attack.