SANAA - Gunmen opened fire on the motorcade of Yemen's prime minister on Saturday, but Salem Basindwa escaped unhurt, an aide said.

Ali al-Sarari, an adviser to Basindwa, said the attack happened in the evening in Sanaa while Basindwa was returning home from his office.

Yemeni Prime Minister Mohammed Salem Basindwa attends a meeting with UN special representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Leila Zerrougui (unseen) in Sanaa in this Nov 27, 2012 file photo.[Photo/Agencies]

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Sarari said Basindwa's guards identified the licence plates of the car used in the attack and security forces were trying to track it down after the assailants fled the scene.
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US allied Yemen is grappling with a host of challenges, foremost of which an al Qaida threat, as it tries to restore state control over the country after months of turmoil in 2011 that saw long-serving President Ali Abdullah Saleh step down.
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Basindwa was appointed prime minister after Saleh quit under a Gulf brokered power transfer deal that saw his deputy, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, take his place.

Home to Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), considered one of the most aggressive branches of the global militant organisation, Yemen shares a long border with Saudi Arabia, a US ally and the world's top oil exporter.
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The US government supports Yemeni forces with funds and logistical support.