U.S. Embassy Communications Officer Shot in North Yemen

WASHINGTON —  An American communications officer at the U.S. Embassy in North Yemen was shot today by an unidentified gunman as the worker was driving home from church, the State Department said.

Department spokesman Charles Redman identified the American as Arthur L. Pollick, 41, and said his life does not appear to be in danger.

Earlier, State Department press officer Joseph Reap said Pollick was shot from a passing car and was hit by two or three bullets but was able to walk home and summon assistance.

Pollick was then taken to a hospital in the North Yemeni capital of Sana and was operated on. He was reported to be in stable condition.

The spokesman said no one had claimed responsibility for the attack.

Last week, a communications officer at the U.S. Embassy in the Sudan was shot. He was flown to Saudi Arabia for treatment and was reported in stable condition.

North Yemen, the Yemen Arab Republic, is located on the Red Sea and borders Saudi Arabia to the north. It is a close U.S. ally. South Yemen, its southern neighbor, is a Soviet ally that recently underwent a bloody coup.