The closure of three embassies in Yemen followed local security forces losing track of six trucks full of arms and explosives, say reports from Yemen."Mahmoud! Where's the arms convoy?"
"What arms convoy, Ahmed?"
"The one we were tasked to track!"
"Ohhhhh, THAT arms convoy!"
France announced its mission in the capital Sanaa was shut on Monday, a day after the US and UK closed theirs.
"Have you checked the mosques?"
It comes after threats from an al-Qaeda wing linked to an alleged plot to blow up a transatlantic plane over the US.
"Of course I haven't checked the mosques! They're holy places!"
But the UK Foreign Office said it was unaware of such a threat, and denied it was the cause for the embassy closure.
"No, no! Certainly not!"
Yemeni government sources, meanwhile, said their forces had shot dead two militants north of Sanaa.
"[BANG!]... Aaaiiieee!"
"[BANG!]... Aaaiiieee!"
A Yemen-based group called Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (Aqap) last week urged attacks on "crusaders" in embassies, as it claimed an alleged attempt to bomb a US airliner on Christmas Day. The US shut its embassy in Sanaa on Sunday, citing "ongoing threats" by the militant organisation, and the UK followed suit.
... and six truckloads of guns and bombs...
On Monday, France shut its Yemen embassy, Japan suspended its consular service in Sanaa, and Spain restricted public access to its mission there. According to Yemeni media, it comes after six trucks full of weapons and explosives entered the capital, and the security forces lost track of the vehicles.