An attack attempt against the U.S. embassy in Yemen on Wednesday morning left 16 killed, Yemen's official SABA news agency reported.

The attack resulted in the killing of six terrorists, four civilians including a civil security guard and an Indian woman who was passing by the area at the time of the attack, and six soldiers in charge of guarding the compound while injuring three others, according to the report.

Quoting security sources in charge of guarding the U.S. embassy compound in Sanaa, SABA said that the terrorists had planned two suicide attacks with two bombed cars targeting the building, which had been foiled.

The source said two cars had tried to break into the embassy compound at 9: 30 am (0630 GMT) on Wednesday and the guards had managed to explode them outside the security barriers.

As the result, the embassy building has been unscathed and none of the embassy workers injured, the source stated. He added that the security apparatus is now carrying out investigations into the criminal assault while denouncing this terrorist act.

Militants have carried out a string of attacks in Yemen in recent years.

(Xinhua News Agency September 17, 2008)