One killed, others injured in fresh clashes in Taiz

Aug 6, 2011, 23:18 GMT

Sana'a, Yemen - One person was reportedly killed and others injured Saturday evening in fresh clashes between government forces and armed rebels in the southern Taiz city.

The clashes erupted in central Taiz on Jamal Abdul-Nasir Street, between security forces and gunmen who have been defending the city against any government attempts to reassert control, a local in Taiz told the German Press Agency dpa late Saturday.

Republican guards were carrying out attacks on protesters in Freedom Square in Taiz and other sites, eyewitnesses said.

In the capital Sana'a, repeated but minor confrontations between government forces and supporters of Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar occurred Saturday for the second consecutive day. No deaths or injuries were reported.

Due to the unstable security situation in the capital, flights to Sana'a International Airport have been diverted to Aden. The renewed clashes with al-Ahmar backers have taken place in the capital's al-Hasaba district, which is near the airport.

Since President Ali Abdullah Saleh left Yemen in June for hospital treatment in Saudi Arabia in June, when he was wounded in an attack on his palace, the country has been in large part run by his family, who hold senior military positions.