Sanaa, April 29: Yemeni security forces have opened fire on a massive anti-Government demonstration in the capital Sanaa, killing 12 protesters and wounding some 190, a doctor at the scene said.
Wednesday’s violence broke out as about 1,00,000 Government opponents filled a landmark square at the epicenter of the uprising, spilling into the streets around the state TV building. Witnesses said security forces, including members of the elite Republican Guard, fired live ammunition and tear gas into the crowd to break it up. Snipers were seen on nearby rooftops aiming at the crowd.
“Many of the dead and wounded were shot in the head and torso,” doctor Mohammed al-Ibahi told The Associated Press.
Yemenis in at least 18 cities and towns launched a civil disobedience campaign Wednesday in an escalation of their more than two-month-old uprising to bring down long-serving President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Shops, schools and Government offices were shuttered.
–Agencies–