Yemen Unrest Jeopardizing US War on Terror?

Yemen is a strategic partner in America’s war against al Qaeda, but political chaos and violence there has terror experts worried about the country's future.

On Tuesday, a Shia rebel group called the Houthis reportedly seized control of Yemen's capital city Sana'a. Intense street battles between Yemen's military and Houthi fighters left nine people dead and dozens injured.

"Two strikes hit the roof of the house. And there was dust and smoke,” Sana'a resident Hisham Abdu said.

"This attack on a civilian area, this is an awful development," Mohamed Yassin, another Sana'a resident, said.

Houthi fighters seized the presidential palace late Tuesday. The whereabouts of Yemen's president, a crucial ally in America's fight against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, are unknown.

The leader of the Houthis took to the airwaves Tuesday morning as fears of a coup gripped the country.

"At this historic and exceptional point in time, when conspiracies have been plotted against the country, there is a great danger facing the country," Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said.

Yemen is a key recruiting and training ground for Islamic radicals. For several years, the United States has poured millions of dollars into the country largely to fight terrorists.

Now experts worry al Qaeda will exploit the current political chaos to expand its power base.

The U.N. Security Council has condemned the violence, calling on all sides to stop fighting.

"The members of the Security Council expressed their grave concern about the worsening political and security crisis in Yemen," Cristian Barros Melet, current U.N. Security Council president, said.

The White House, which has touted Yemen's success in combating terrorism, also condemned the violence.

But in a sign of just how bad the situation is in Yemen, the United States has moved two Navy warships into the Red Sea ready to evacuate Americans if needed.