Yemeni troops kill 7 protesters
Seven people have been killed in southern Yemen after security forces opened fire on protesters who are demanding an end to the longtime rule of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Witnesses said that security forces opened fire on anti-government protesters in the Yemeni city of Taizz, killing five of them, AFP reported on Tuesday.
The shootings occurred as security forces were attempting to prevent people from gathering in the city.
This is while on Monday, Yemeni forces killed at least 100 demonstrators in the city, according to protest organizers and opposition figures.
Hundreds of thousands of people have turned out for near daily demonstrations in Yemen’s major cities since late January, calling for an end to corruption and unemployment as well as demanding the ouster of Saleh, who has been ruling the country since 1978.
Former Yemeni Defense Minister Abdullah Ali Aliwah, along with a group of senior military officers, have defected to the opposition since the outbreak of the protests.
In a statement, Aliwah accused President Saleh of “deliberately” handing over the southern coastal town of Zinjibar to armed groups.
Hundreds of suspected militants stormed the town on Friday, capturing a number of army tanks and several armored cars.
Scores of tribesmen and regime forces have also lost their lives in clashes between security forces and tribesmen since Saleh refused to sign a power transition deal brokered by the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council on May 23.
Source: presstv.ir
