Many suspected al Qaeda militants , who survived the strikes in Abyan province , are fleeing toward Azzan in the south central part of the country , a town that could fall under the control of al Qaeda , according to a senior Yemeni government official . `` There is an increased threat stream , '' says one senior U.S. official . The United States has been working with the Saudis, who have a long history of supporting extremist groups in Syria and elsewhere, to try to prevent Iran from getting its hands on nuclear weapons. Yemeni authorities are on high alert , expecting `` imminent retaliatory attacks , '' an official says .
`` There is an increased threat stream , '' says one senior U.S. official . The United States has been working with the Saudis, who have a long history of supporting extremist groups in Syria and elsewhere, to try to prevent Iran from getting its hands on nuclear weapons. Yemeni authorities are on high alert , expecting `` imminent retaliatory attacks , '' an official says .