US missions under attack in Yemen and Egypt

Demonstrators stormed the US embassy in Yemen yesterday, leading to a clash in which four people were killed, while protesters stoned Washington’s mission in Cairo as anger spread over a US-produced film mocking Islam.

Yemeni police used water cannon and fired warning shots to expel protesters who breached the perimeter wall, and at least one demonstrator was shot dead outside the compound as police battled to prevent any new incursion.

The protests came even as US and Libyan officials said they were probing a mob attack on the consulate in Benghazi that killed the ambassador and three other US officials on Tuesday, amid growing speculation it was the work of jihadist militants rather than just demonstrators.

In the Yemeni capital Sanaa, 34 people were also wounded when police opened fire outside the compound, a security official said.

The shooting came as protesters, chanting “Oh, messenger of Allah... Oh, Mohammed,” launched a second charge on the complex, which they had stormed earlier but were ejected by the security forces.

President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi apologised to his US counterpart Barack Obama and the American people for the acts of a “mob” and ordered a probe.

“Those behind (the attack) are a mob that are not aware of the far-reaching plots of Zionist forces, especially those who made a film insulting the Prophet,” said Hadi.

Some protesters said they saw three vehicles being torched by some of the demonstrators after they gained access to the compound through an unguarded security gate.

After being evicted from the complex on their first assault, protesters retreated about 100 metres from the gate, gathering near a checkpoint and chanting anti-Jewish slogans.

They then launched a second bid to access the compound, prompting police to fire on the crowd, witnesses said.

In Cairo, police fired tear gas to disperse the latest protest outside the embassy by stone- and bottle-throwing demonstrators. Seventy people were hurt, the health ministry said.

Armoured vehicles were deployed around the mission, an AFP correspondent reported.

On Tuesday night, protesters stormed the Cairo embassy, tearing down the Stars and Stripes and replacing it with a black Islamic flag.

Egypt’s Islamist President Mohammed Morsi condemned the offence caused by the movie but warned against resorting to violence.

“We Egyptians reject any kind of assault or insult against our prophet. I condemn and oppose all who... insult our Prophet,” he said.

“(But) it is our duty to protect our guests and visitors from abroad,” Morsi said.

“I call on everyone to take that into consideration, not to violate Egyptian law... not to assault embassies.”

The low-budget film in which actors have strong American accents, portrays Muslims as immoral and gratuitously violent.