Fighting erupts in Sanaa; many hurt

Anti-government protesters call for the resignation of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in Sanaa on May 23, 2011.A rocket-propelled grenade was fired at the Interior MinistryMany tribal forces want the president to step downThe pact appeared to be on the verge of signing last weekend

(CNN) -- Nearly three dozen people in Yemen were wounded during clashes Tuesday between government security forces and the main tribe that opposes the country's president, eyewitnesses told CNN.

The battles erupted between fighters from the Al-Hashid tribe and security personnel in the capital of Sanaa at the residence of tribal leader Sheikh Sadeq Al-Ahmar.

It was the latest round of clashes in Yemen, a key U.S. ally in the fight against al Qaeda. The country has been roiled by protests for most of the year amid anti-government demonstrations that have swept across much of the Arab world. Protesters want President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step aside after three decades of rule.

Government forces and tribal groups also clashed Monday in Sanaa.

var currExpandable = "expand14";if(typeof CNN.expandableMap === 'object') {CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);}var currExpandableHeight = 360;mediaObj.lgImage= $(currExpandable).select('img.box-image')[0].readAttribute('src');mediaObj.lgImageX = 640;mediaObj.lgImageY = currExpandableHeight;mediaObj.origImageX = $(currExpandable).select('img.box-image')[0].readAttribute('width'); mediaObj.origImageY = $(currExpandable).select('img.box-image')[0].readAttribute('height');mediaObj.contentType = 'Video';CNN.expElements.expand14Store = mediaObj;

On Tuesday, military helicopters hovered over Al-Ahmar's house. Thousands of tribesmen were in the streets. They took over the Trade and Commerce Ministry building and attacked the Ministry of Interior in the same area where the clashes erupted, witnesses said.

A rocket-propelled grenade was fired at the Interior Ministry during the fighting, witnesses said, and state TV reported that "armed gangs" belonging to the tribe fired weapons at the ministry building.

Hamid al-Ahmar, an opposition member of parliament and one of Saleh's political enemies in Yemen, is the younger brother of Sadeq al-Ahmar, the tribal leader.

The fighting came after Persian Gulf states said on Monday that they had suspended efforts to ease the embattled president from office after he once again balked at signing a deal with opposition leaders.

In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, foreign ministers with the Gulf Cooperation Council said they were dropping the deal "for lack of appropriate circumstances for agreement." The council is made up of representatives from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait.

Under its plan, Saleh would have ceded power to a transitional government after 30 days.

Opposition leaders signed the pact Saturday, but Saleh said he would not go along unless the opposition re-signed the agreement in a public ceremony at his presidential palace -- which was surrounded by armed, pro-government protesters.

Opposition members have long contended that Saleh had no intention of signing the agreement.

On Monday, the Council of the European Union condemnded Saleh's "repeated failure to sign up to the GCC-sponsored initiative."

CNN Top Stories

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.