Clashes intensify between government troops, tribal rebels in Yemen capital

Fierce clashes continued for the second day Tuesday in central area of Yemen's capital Sanaa between government forces and armed tribal rebels, after Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh refused to ink the Gulf deal to ease him out of office.

The clashes took place midday Monday in the vital district of Hassaba, where a number of government ministries and facilities are located, between government soldiers and armed tribesmen hired by the defected leader of powerful Hashid tribe Sheikh Sadeq al- Ahmar.

At least 14 people from both sides have been killed so far and 61 others have been wounded, according to a security official.

The official, who asked not to be named, told Xinhua that the rebels of al-Ahmar were trying to break into the state-run Saba news agency and the interior ministry.

"The tribal rebels fired machine guns, mortar's shells and rocket-propelled grenades on government buildings... the government forces fired back," he said.

The ongoing clashes forced the government authorities to use fighter jets and tanks to end what the officials described as " mess caused by those backward armed tribesmen who seek to seize the power by force and civil war rather than dialogue or free elections."

The authorities blocked nearly all the main roads as local residents formed popular committees to protect their neighborhoods.

The Hashid tribe, which Saleh belongs to, turned to support the anti-government youth-led protests in March.

Government officials accused al-Ahmar of staging a rebellion by attacking and storming several government buildings, including the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders announced late Sunday in a statement that they suspended the GCC initiative that proposed to end the political standoff in Yemen by easing out Saleh within 30 days.

The clashes in Sanaa, which came one day after Saleh warned against a civil war, spread fears among the protesters. Witnesses said a large number of protesters left their sit-ins in Sanaa and other major provinces.

With sounds of heavy weapons, the rest of protesters preferred to stay calm in their sit-ins, canceling all plans to march forward to Saleh's palaces, according to one of the protest organizers.

After Saleh backed out of the GCC deal, officials of the United States and European Union phoned Saleh to push him to sign the deal, threatening with economic sanctions, a government official said.

The clashes are intensified now, in which tanks were used, according to a Xinhua reporter.

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