UK military chief: No plan to send troops to Yemen

LONDON (AP) — The head of Britain's armed forces says there should be no rush to send troops into Yemen, despite an escalating terrorism threat.

Gen. David Richards, who took up his post last week, told BBC radio on Monday that intelligence agencies were taking the lead in assisting the Yemeni government in dealing with al-Qaida affiliated groups.

Asked if a military invention would be necessary to handle the threat, Richards said "it might be, but right now is not considered to be the case."

Richards said the military would continue to focus on Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Prime Minister David Cameron's office declined to say whether Britain supports the use of drone strikes in Yemen against al-Qaida targets, including U.S.-born radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.