Yemen's embassy in Washington says its nation's air force launched an airstrike on an al-Qaida hideout ahead of a likely terror attack.

The airstrike was carried out Sunday in Yemen's Abyan province. Yemen's ministry of defense, in a statement released by the embassy, said the al-Qaida group was planning "an imminent attack on a strategic installation" in retaliation for stepped-up counterterrorism efforts.

Working with U.S. intelligence officials, Yemen has recently boosted its counterterrorism efforts. Last week it announced the arrest of a U.S. citizen accused of being part of Yemen's al-Qaida branch.

The al-Qaida division in Yemen has been linked to the failed bombing attempt on a Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas Day. It has also been the subject of increased concern by U.S. counterterrorism officials.

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