Yemeni authorities reportedly foiled an al Qaeda plot go capture oil and gas facilities and seize two key southern plots earlier this week, the country's spokesman for the prime minister said, as reported by CNN.

The foiled plot news comes on the same week as the U.S. issued a worldwide travel alert, which closed a number of embassies and consulates over large areas of the Middle East and Africa.

"Large numbers of government forces are making sure the Yemeni coasts are safe from any al Qaeda attack. Al Qaeda sought to attack the oil pipelines, but failed and tried to attack through the coast of Mukalla but failed as well," Rajeh Badi, the spokesman, said.

"It's not a secret that al Qaeda also has sleeper cells in Sanaa," another source added.

As well as the foiled terror plot by Yemeni authorities, six terrorists in separate vehicles were killed in two drone attacks. This was the fifth strike in two weeks, and the second in Shabwa. A local security official told CNN that he doubts any of those killed were senior al-Qaeda members.

U.S. officials intercepted a message from al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri to operatives in Yemen telling them to "do something,"  on Tuesday. The message was sent to Nasir al-Wuhayshi, the leader of AQAP, the terror group's Yemeni affiliate. U.S. intelligence believes al-Wuhayshi has recently been appointed the overall terror organization's No. 2 leader, CNN reported.

The foiled plot did not appear to be related to the threat that has led to the closing of embassies here and elsewhere, BBC reported.