A plot by Al-Qaeda to take over two cities in Yemen and destroy gas facilities has been stopped by Yemeni intelligence services and military according to local officials.

Government spokesman Rageh Badi told the Associated Press that Al-Qaeda planned to take over Hadramawt Province capital city Makalla and the city of Bawzeer. Once the cities were under their control, the terrorists planned to dress in military uniforms and attack two oil ports.

While the attacks happened, terrorists on another front would destroy oil and gas pipelines to attempt to “create panic” among the Yemeni army.

If the attack was successful it would have given Al-Qaeda control over a major part of the country’s infrastructure and economic base.

Yemeni officials say that intelligence efforts have discovered the plot was partially planned in response to the country’s killing of senior Al-Qaeda leader Said al-Shihri in a November drone strike. (al-Shihri was badly wounded in the attack and later died from those injuries.)

The news of the thwarted plot comes on the heels of the U.S. and U.K. pulling all non-essential personnel from Yemen over fears of a terrorist attack similar to the Benghazi attack where a U.S. ambassador was killed.

On Wednesday, the U.S. also launched a drone strike that killed seven al-Qaeda terrorists. The attack was the fifth drone strike in the last two weeks.