Al Qaida group claims responsibility for Yemen's Italian Embassy attack

Cairo: An Al Qaida-affiliated group has claimed responsibility for firing two mortars at the Italian Embassy in Yemen's capital of Sana'a.

The mortars landed in the courtyard outside Yemen's Customs Authority on Wednesday, about 460 metres away from the Italian Embassy, without causing damage or injuries.

Yemen's Soldiers Brigades, which defines itself as a branch of Al Qaida, posted an announcement late on Saturday on a militant website saying the Italian Embassy was the target of the attack.

The group said its aim was to expel the "infidels" from the Arabian peninsula.

Al Qaida has an active presence in Yemen, a key U.S. ally in the Middle East, despite government efforts to destroy it.