Yemen forces 'open fire on protesters'

Doctors said that most of the injuries were to the neck, head and chest of protesters

 

 

At least 30 anti-government protesters have been shot dead by Yemeni forces in Sanaa, reports say.

They said dozens were wounded when government forces opened fire on a group of protesters gathered near the university, following Friday prayers.
Armed men were positioned on top of nearby buildings in Taghyeer Square, medics told the BBC.
Witnesses said the men opened fire on protesters calling for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to stand down.
"Ten people were killed and the number is expected to increase because there are 30 people in a critical condition," one doctor at a field hospital set up at the protest camp at Sanaa University told Reuters.

One medic told AFP that most of the wounds were to the head, neck and chest.
On 9 March one person was killed and at least 80 were injured when forces opened fire on a similar protest by a group who has been camped out in front of the university since mid-February.

Popular revolts

Yemen is one of a number of countries in the region that have seen unrest since the presidents of Egypt and Tunisia were ousted in popular revolts.

Thousands of people have turned out for regular demonstrations in cities including Sanaa, Aden, Taiz and elsewhere, calling for corruption and unemployment to be tackled and demanding the president step down.
The protests have often been met by riot police or supporters of President Saleh armed with knives and batons.
The president has been power for 32 years, facing a separatist movement in the south, a branch of al-Qaeda, and a periodic conflict with Shia tribes in the north.
He has said he will not seek another term in office in 2013 but has vowed to defend his regime "with every drop of blood".