Drone strike in Yemen kills 4 suspected Al Qaeda militants WASHINGTON - A suspected U.S. drone strike in Yemen killed four alleged Al Qaeda members Tuesday as the U.S. Air Force flew dozens of American diplomats and other embassy personnel out of the country because of intelligence suggesting a potential terrorist attack. A flurry of drone-launched missiles struck a vehicle traveling in Marib province, east of the capital, Sana, killing four Islamist militants, according to the Yemen Post, a privately owned English-language newspaper. The state-run Saba news agency said four Al Qaeda militants were killed. A second strike hit a "militant hide-out," the Yemen Post said, citing local security officials. It was the fourth reported drone attack in 10 days, a sharp uptick in counter-terrorism operations against Al Qaeda's most lethal franchise after a lull of several months. Demonstrating the stubbornness of the threat, militants apparently fired a missile that downed a Yemeni military helicopter Tuesday as it flew over the Al Qaeda stronghold of Wadi Ubida in central Yemen, officials said. Eight people died, including a military commander, the Associated Press reported. They were part of a military force guarding oil installations in the region. U.S. officials declined to comment on the drone attacks Tuesday, and it wasn't clear whether they were related to recent intelligence suggesting that senior Al Qaeda leaders had approved an imminent attack on U.S. facilities or interests. The State Department urged all Americans to leave Yemen, however, and said nonessential U.S. government employees would be evacuated "due to the continued potential for terrorist attacks." "We evaluate on a daily basis the best ways to keep our citizens safe, our employees safe," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said at a news briefing. And we felt this was a necessary step. As many as 100 Americans were flown out of Sana at dawn aboard a C-17 military transport plane, said a U.S. Defense official who was not authorized to reveal the figures. They were flown to Ramstein Air Base in Germany. U.S. military personnel remain "on the ground in Yemen to support the U.S. State Department and monitor the security situation," said Pentagon spokesman George Little. Yemeni officials criticized the American move, which they called unnecessary. The Yemeni government is "deeply disappointed in the U.S. decision to evacuate embassy staff," said a Yemeni official in Washington, who asked for anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press. It plays into the hands of Al Qaeda, and it's going to hurt our economy. Britain, which has been urging its citizens in Yemen to "leave now" for the last two years, also said it was temporarily evacuating its embassy staff because of the apparent danger. "There is a high threat from terrorism throughout Yemen," the British Foreign Office said in a statement. Due to increased security concerns, all staff in the British Embassy have been temporarily withdrawn and the embassy will remain closed until staff are able to return. The Foreign Office also advised against visiting Yemen as long as "the situation remains volatile with continuing unrest and violent clashes." The diplomatic evacuations follow days of rising concern in Western capitals after the National Security Agency intercepted secret communications between Al Qaeda leader Ayman Zawahiri, who is believed to be in Pakistan, and the top Al Qaeda figure in Yemen, Nasser Wuhayshi, about an apparent plan to launch a terrorist operation against an unspecified target. That intelligence led to the Obama administration's decision last week to temporarily close more than two dozen U.S. diplomatic facilities, mostly in the Arab world, and issue a worldwide travel warning to Americans. About 19 U.S. diplomatic posts remain closed. Many European embassies also were closed. U.S. officials say they believe Wuhayshi has been promoted to the No. 2 position in Al Qaeda, mainly because the organization's ranks in Pakistan have been thinned by drone strikes and the Yemeni affiliate, known as Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, is the most capable offshoot of the network founded by Osama bin Laden. Some analysts say the Yemeni group has drawn followers because of opposition to U.S. drone strikes, which have sometimes killed civilians. But the group has suffered setbacks from U.S. attacks and Yemeni army forces over the last 18 months, and it's unclear whether it can mount a successful terrorist operation outside Yemen. Anna Boyd, an analyst for the global consultancy IHS Country Risk, said the group's "operational network is weak" after repeated counter-terrorism operations by U.S., Saudi and other intelligence services. "Its ability to recruit foreign operatives capable of international travel has diminished since the deaths of its English-language propagandists Anwar Awlaki and Samir Khan," two American members of Al Qaeda who were killed in a CIA drone strike in September 2011. "We assess it would be difficult for the group to mount an attack on a hard target like an embassy anywhere other than in Yemen, where its core capability is focused and where the risk is severe," she said. The latest drone strike did not hit any of the 25 people that the Yemeni government named Monday as "most wanted terrorists," according to a Yemeni official who was not authorized to be quoted. Most of those named on the list are believed to be members of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. The government offered about $23,000 in rewards for information leading to the capture of the 25, but said it "has taken all necessary precautions to secure diplomatic facilities, vital installations and strategic assets."