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Renewed Yemen Clashes Leave at Least 7 Dead

   VOA News  May 24, 2011
   A wounded man lying in a hospital bed is checked by a nurse after being
   injured in clashes with Yemeni security forces in Sanaa, Yemen, May 23,
   2011

Photo: AP

   A wounded man lying in a hospital bed is checked by a nurse after being
   injured in clashes with Yemeni security forces in Sanaa, Yemen, May 23,
   2011

   New clashes in Yemen broke out Tuesday between Yemeni President Ali
   Abdullah Saleh's security forces and members of a key tribe aligned
   with the opposition.
   The two sides exchanged sporadic gunfire after a nighttime lull, as
   fighters of powerful tribal leader, Sheik Sadeq al-Ahmar, took over and
   sealed off several government buildings in the capital, Sana'a.
   Witnesses say the clashes have killed seven people and wounded at least
   25 since the gun battles erupted on Monday near al-Ahmar's house.
   In March, al-Ahmar joined the opposition movement that is demanding
   Saleh's immediate resignation.
   The clashes come amid international pressure on Saleh to provide a
   peaceful transition ending his more than three decades of autocratic
   rule.
   A council of Arab states suspended its mediation efforts on Sunday
   after Saleh refused to sign a deal for him to leave office.
   The Gulf Cooperation Council made the decision when Saleh backed out of
   the deal after Yemen's opposition signed the pact on Saturday with the
   understanding that the president would sign it on Sunday.
   It was the third time the Yemeni leader has refused to sign the deal.
   U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Monday the United
   States believes Saleh can still sign the agreement to break the
   political "deadlock" that has plagued the Arab country and "urged him
   to take action."
   The agreement offered Saleh immunity from prosecution if he transfers
   power to a deputy within 30 days of signing.
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References

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