A Yemeni Interior Ministry official said one Yemeni guard died in a blast near the U.S. embassy in the capital of Sana'a. Other local guards and some schoolchildren also have been wounded, the AP reported.

The official said the Tuesday attack came after unknown attackers fired a mortar at a school next to the embassy. The official said one shell landed outside the gates of the school, killing the guard outside the embassy next door and injuring three other guards. The guards were all employed by the Yemen's Interior Ministry.

The American Embassy issued a statement saying none of its employees were wounded in the incident. It was unclear if the embassy or the school was the target.

The interior ministry official later said that the attack may be linked to a dispute between a teacher and school administrators. The school received a warning two days ago from the teacher's family about an imminent attack, the official said.

© 2008 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)