Yemeni authorities have arrested 30 people suspected of belonging to Al-Qaida following an attack on the heavily fortified US embassy in Sanaa, a security official said yesterday.

Two suicide car bombs set off a series of explosions outside the embassy compound on Wednesday, killing 16 people including six attackers. The dead were all Yemeni apart from an Indian woman who was walking past.

"The security authorities want to investigate whether the suspects are linked to Wednesday's attack," the security official said.