Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
MANILA, Philippines (AP) - The Philippines on Monday banned its workers from going to Yemen after an attack by militants there killed more than 50 people, including seven Filipinos.
The decision, announced by Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez, means Filipinos cannot take up jobs in Yemen while 1,500 to 2,000 of those already working in the country can choose to return home at the government's expense.
Al-Qaida claimed responsibility for Friday's attack on Yemen's military headquarters in Sanaa, saying it was retaliation for U.S. drone strikes that have killed dozens of the terror network's leaders.
The seven Filipinos killed included a doctor and nurses. Eleven others were wounded. They were among 40 Filipinos working in the hospital inside the complex.
About 10 million Filipinos work overseas, mostly in the Middle East, sending home millions of dollars that support the Southeast Asian nation's economy.
Filipino workers also have been barred from Somalia and Syria.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
