Yemen, May 11: Regime forces have once again opened fire on anti-government demonstrators in southern Yemen, killing at least one protester, a medical source says.
The attack took place on Wednesday after hundreds of protesters took to the streets in the volatile city of Taizz, south of the capital Sana’a, AFP reported.
Protests against embattled Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh have shown no sign of abating despite the regime’s violent crackdown.
Earlier on Tuesday, at least 23 people were killed in an airstrike launched by the Yemeni government against tribes near Sana’a.
The attack took place on Tuesday after hundreds of tribesman blocked a tank brigade reportedly heading to a nearby town to suppress anti-government protests.
According to reports, the brigade was commanded by President Saleh’s son.
Saleh has been in office since 1978 and recently rejected a plan proposed by the (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council ([P]GCC) that offers him immunity in return for his resignation.
At least 300 protesters have been killed and many others injured during clashes with riot police and armed forces loyal to the Yemeni president since the anti-regime demonstrations began in late January, local reports say.
There are concerns that the intermittent skirmishes between anti-government demonstrators and forces loyal to Saleh could eventually spiral out of control and trigger large-scale violence.
——Agencies