Yemen troops kill protesters in Taiz

Soldiers use live ammunition on protesters demanding removal of President Saleh, killing six and wounding more than 30 Yemeni troops have opened fire on crowds of protesters demanding the removal of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, killing six and wounding more than 30 in the second day of clashes in Taiz, witnesses and medical officials said. The bloodshed in the southern city stoked the uprising that has lasted more than a month against Saleh’s 32-year rule. The opposition has held continual protest camps in main squares of cities around Yemen, and on Monday new demonstrations in solidarity with the Taiz protesters erupted in several places. The violence began when thousands of protesters marched through Taiz toward Freedom Square, where demonstrators have been camped out. As the march passed the governor’s headquarters, troops stationed there blocked the procession, and clashes broke out, with some protesters throwing stones, witnesses said. Troops on nearby rooftops opened fire with live ammunition on the crowd. The marchers then besieged the governor’s headquarters, said Bushra al-Maqtara, an opposition activist in Taiz, and other witnesses. At least six protesters were killed and more than 30 wounded, some with gunshots to the head and chest, said Zakariya Abdul-Qader, a doctor at a clinic set up by protesters in Freedom Square. Other doctors at the clinic confirmed the figure. The military has clamped down on the city of nearly half a million, about 120 miles south of the capital, Sana’a. For a second day, tanks and armoured vehicles blocked entrances to the city to prevent outsiders from joining the protests. They also surrounded Freedom Square, containing the thousands in the protest camp and arresting anyone who tried to leave. Saleh’s top security official in Taiz, Abdullah Qiran, is accused by demonstrators of orchestrating some of the most brutal crackdowns, particularly in the southern port town of Aden, where he was stationed until his transfer several weeks ago. Marches in solidarity with the Taiz protesters erupted in the cities of Mukalla, in the east, and Hodeida, on Yemen’s western Red Sea coast. In Hodeida, protesters tried to march on a presidential palace in the city but were blocked by security forces, who opened fire with teargas and live ammunition, said activist Abdel-Hafiz al-Abbasi. He said three people were wounded. Yemen Arab and Middle East unrest Middle East guardian.co.uk

Posted by on April 4, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.