Yemen's Fighting Increases Casualties

In the southern city Taiz, Yemen a 25-year-old woman and 10 year old girl were killed due to clashes between forces loyal to President Ali Abdullah Saleh and his opponents, with both sides blaming the other for the deaths.

The woman and girl died after mortar rounds hit their house. Over the past six months, the city has repeatedly been a scene of opposition demonstrations calling for an end to Mr. Saleh's three-decade rule. Saleh’s attempted assassination last month, which led to him being evacuated to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment, would have left the impoverished country in political limbo.

Residents said that despite telling authorities that insurgents were not in their houses, civilians were still being targeted:

"These are harmless people inside their homes. They have no weapons, don't harbour armed individuals and there are no bullets being fired from their homes. Several times now I have warned them (the authorities) - two days ago I spoke to the head of central security and I told him 'your people are firing indiscriminately at people in their homes.' He told me, 'you are right and I shall speak to them (soldiers) and tell them (soldiers) to only target homes where insurgents are firing.' The insurgents are shooting from the mountains, but the soldiers are responding by targeting our homes."

The state news agency, SABA, blamed pro-opposition gunmen for the attack, while the website of the main opposition party said the Republican Guard, headed by Mr Saleh’s son, was behind the shelling. The latter accusation has further fuelled protester’s rage. Furthermore, as the stalemate continues, the Republican Guard, and armed pro-opposition tribesmen have been clashing over which group is best defending the protesters.

Western powers and the oil giant, Saudi Arabia, who are both respective targets of the Yemen-based militant group, al Qaeda, have tried to contain rising chaos by pressuring Saleh to sign a plan to hand over power.

However, Saleh has backed out of the deal three times at the last minute, vowing to return to Yemen.

Speaker:
Fouad Al Sharjabi -resident

Voice:
Najib Bencherif