Yemen PM escapes assassination attempt

Gunmen opened fire on the motorcade of Yemen's Prime Minister Salem Basindwa on Saturday, but he escaped unhurt, an aide said.

Ali al-Sarari, an adviser to the premier, said the attack happened in the evening in Sanaa while Basindwa was returning home from his office.

Sarari said Basindwa's guards identified the license plates of the car used in the attack and security forces were trying to track it down after the assailants fled the scene.

Yemen’s Information Minister Ali Al Amrani said his convoy also came under fire Friday.

U.S. allied Yemen is grappling with a host of challenges, foremost of which an al-Qaeda threat, as it tries to restore state control over the country after months of turmoil in 2011 that saw long-serving President Ali Abdullah Saleh step down.

Basindwa was appointed prime minister after Saleh quit under a Gulf brokered power transfer deal that saw his deputy, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, take his place.

Yemen is run by a governing coalition made of member of the opposition and allies of the former dictator Saleh. Each accuses the other of undermining the transition to democracy.

Home to Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), considered one of the most aggressive branches of the global militant organization, Yemen shares a long border with Saudi Arabia, a U.S. ally and the world's top oil exporter.

The U.S. government supports Yemeni forces with funds and logistical support.

Al Jazeera and Reuters