Heavy fighting continues in Sana’a, at least 63 dead (VIDEOS)

Posted on | mei 27, 2011 | 1 Comment

The clashes in th Yemeni capital Sana’a continued overnight and spread out to the north, where the members of Al-Ahmar’s Hashed tribe took over the airport. Flights were redirected to Aden. More heavy fighting was also reported from the Hasaba district, where the Hashed reportedly took over more ministries and other public buildings. Ali Abdallah Saleh’s forces meanwhile attacked the opposition television station and newspaper Suhail. The broadcasting stopped.

Thousands of inhabitants of Sana’a left the city where the fighting more and more threatened to escalate into a full blown civil war. Th United States has ordered its personel to leave Yemen. 

According to the Yemen Post newspaper the casualties of last night’s fighting amounted to at least 63.

The head of office for Sadeq Ahmar, Abdul Qawi Qaisi said that more than 50 people were killed and 110 injured in last nights clashes between Hashed tribes and republican guards. Clashes continued for more than eight hours near Sana’a International Airport and in Hasaba zone of Sana’a.

The Defense Ministry announced earlier today that four more were killed yesterday evening by Hashed tribes.

Tribes in Arhab confirmed that nine tribesmen were killed in clashes between Arhab tribesmen and republican guards last night. The government has not yet announced its casualties from soldiers, according to the paper.

The Yemen Post newspaperalso reported that Wednesday massive demonstrations were held in some provinces including the capital to affirm that the youth-led uprising in the squares of change and freedom is peaceful and had nothing to do with the battles between the government forces and the tribes. They chanted slogans such as: ‘our revolution is peaceful’, ‘ no to war’, and ‘the people want to oust the regime’.

No incidents were reported as month-long street sit-ins continued in most of the Yemeni cities.

Two Al-Ahamar brothers, left Hamid (leader of the Islah-party, the second in the country) and right Sadeq, the leader of the Hashed tribe. Their father, Abdallah al-Ahmar, who died in 2007 (he is pictured under amidst his ten sons), was an ally of president Saleh and the seond powerful man of the country. He was leader of Islah, speaker of the parliament and leader of the Hashed (to which also Saleh's tribe belongs). The sons however broke with Saleh whom they accused of running the country as a family business, and of mismanagement and treacherous conduct in the conflict with the Houthi's inteh north among other things.

AUTHOR: Martin Hijmans
URL: http://the-pessoptimist.blogspot.com/
E-MAIL: m.hijmans [at] planet.nl

Category: Middle East, war & conflicts
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One Response to “Heavy fighting continues in Sana’a, at least 63 dead (VIDEOS)”

  1. Top of the Stack: Yemen | InternationalRelations.com
    mei 31st, 2011 @ 04:05

    [...] in times of disorder. In the capital, Sanaa, armed tribesmen opposed to President Saleh have fought government forces in the street, and although a shaky cease-fire has been declared there, it doesn’t seem to be [...]

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