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Friday, June 10, 2011

Protests break out across Yemen

(CNN) -- Demonstrations swelled in several cities across Yemen on Friday, a week after the country's president was injured in an attack on the mosque at the presidential palace.


In Sanaa, demonstrators participating in a large protest against President Ali Abdullah Saleh's continued rule could be heard chanting "Saleh will fall" and "The end is near for Saleh," according to eyewitnesses.


In a separate large protest in the city, pro-government demonstrators carried signs of Saleh and chanted, "We are with you, Saleh," according to witnesses.


Another large demonstration was occurring in Taiz, according to witnesses. Protests were also under way in Ibb and Mukalla, witnesses said.


Yemen has been consumed with unrest for months as protesters demand an end to Saleh's rule.


In recent weeks, government troops have battled both anti-government tribal forces and Islamic militants.


On June 3, the presidential compound was attacked, injuring Saleh and other senior officials. They went to Saudi Arabia for treatment.


Tareq al-Shami, a spokesman for the ruling party said Saleh was in good health and would be returning to Yemen "within days."


The government has also been battling Islamic militants, including in Zinjibar, an Abyan province town that had been taken over by militants. Yemeni state TV said this week that the government had ousted the militants from Zinjibar.

A six-nation Gulf Arab alliance has tried to broker a government-opposition agreement that would lead to Saleh's departure, but that effort has so far been unsuccessful.

CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom and Hakim Almasmari contributed to this report.


CNN

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