Hurt Yemen leader appears on TV

7 July 2011 Last updated at 18:39 GMT President Saleh stressed that dialogue was needed to resolve Yemen's problems Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has appeared on TV for the first time since being badly burned in an attack on his palace last month.

He did not move his arms, and both his hands were bandaged.

Mr Saleh has been undergoing treatment in Saudi Arabia since 6 June following the attack, which officials said was caused by a bomb.

Yemen has been rocked by months of unrest, with protesters calling for Mr Saleh's resignation.

He has refused to step down and has resisted several attempts at mediated solutions.

'Successful operations'

In Thursday's address aired on Yemen's state TV, the president said that dialogue was needed to resolve Yemen's problems.

He said he welcomed power-sharing, but stressed that it should be "within the framework of the constitution and in the framework of the law".

Referring to his injuries sustained during the attack on his compound in Sanaa in June, Mr Saleh admitted that he had undergone "more than eight successful operations".

Mr Saleh's departure was celebrated in Sanaa by anti-government protesters

"I had burns because of the accident. There were also a number of operations for a number of officials such as the speaker of parliament, the prime minister, his deputy, and the governor of Sanaa. More than 87 people were injured."

Mr Saleh is still recovering in Saudi Arabia, amid speculation in Yemen that he might soon return to the country.

Seven people were killed in the incident, while Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Mujawar and at least two other senior officials were also seriously injured.

Western diplomats have been helping the Yemeni authorities to investigate the attack and have confirmed that a large quantity of the high explosive TNT had been placed inside the mosque where President Saleh attended Friday prayers.

Mr Saleh has ruled Yemen since 1978. His departure followed weeks of unrest which has left more than 350 people dead.

Fighting has been particularly fierce in the southern province of Abyan, where militants have exploited the political vacuum to move into the towns of Zinjibar and Jaar.

Opposition groups accuse the Sanaa government of playing up the jihadist threat in an attempt to shore up Western support.

Mr Saleh has refused to sign a Gulf-mediated transition plan that would see him step down from power in return for immunity from prosecution over the deaths of protesters in the five-month uprising.

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Yemen president injured in attack

3 June 2011 Last updated at 15:55 GMT A truce agreed last week collapsed after four days, with each side blaming the other President Ali Abdullah Saleh has been slightly hurt in an attack on a mosque in his compound in the Yemeni capital Sanaa and is in hospital, officials say, as fighting continues between the government and armed tribes.

Earlier, officials told TV he was well and would address the nation shortly.

The PM and parliament speaker were hurt and an imam and three guards killed.

Earlier troops shelled the home of the brother of the tribal leader whose supporters they are fighting.

However, the office of the tribal leader, Sheikh Sadeq al-Ahmar, denied responsibility for the attack on the palace. This contradicted an earlier claim made by Sheikh Ahmar's spokesman that the attack had been retaliatory.

Thousands meanwhile attended a funeral for 50 people killed in the violence.

The United States has sent an envoy to the Gulf to discuss ways of stopping the violence, which has brought Yemen to the brink of civil war.

More than 350 people have been killed since the uprising started in January, but least 135 of them have died in the past 10 days.

Continue reading the main story Lina Sinjab BBC News, Sanaa

This is the first attack on the presidential palace since the clashes started.

His forces were intending to crush Hamid al-Ahmar's forces. They have moved the fight from the north of the city in Hassaba to the south in Hadda, a residential upper-class area occupied by diplomats, top officials and businessmen. Sheikh Ahmar's house is there and has been heavily targeted.

But the president's army is not as powerful as it was. Its first division, led by Gen Ali Mohsen, has defected to the opposition and has not been involved in the fighting yet. But if it did become involved, it would mean a declaration of war.

The retaliation against President Saleh's compound could expand into further clashes in the capital. It is also being seen as a sign that the end is near for him.

Western and regional powers have been urging Mr Saleh to sign a Gulf Co-operation Council-brokered deal that would see him hand over to his deputy in return for an amnesty from prosecution.

He has agreed to sign on several occasions, but then backed out.

GCC Secretary-General Abdulattif al-Zayani called for an end to the fighting and said the council was ready to do all it could to help, Reuters news agency reported.

'Red lines'

There has been heavy fighting in the northern Sanaa district of Hassaba since last week between Mr Saleh's forces and tribesman loyal to Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar, the head of the powerful Hashid tribal confederation.

Explosions were heard in the south of the capital for the first time. Witnesses said the army had shelled the home of Sheikh Hamid al-Ahmar, a leader of the opposition Islah party, in the Hadda district.

Later, a spokesman for the ruling General People's Congress party said at least two shells had hit a mosque in the presidential palace compound.

The BBC's Lina Sinjab said the situation in Sanaa was tense as people were worried it could turn into civil war

Tariq al-Shami told the AFP news agency that Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Mujawar, speaker of parliament Yahya al-Rai and several other officials were wounded in the attack, which he blamed on the tribesmen.

"The Ahmar [tribe] have crossed all the red lines," he added.

Continue reading the main story Sheikh Sadeq al-Ahmar is the overall leader of the Hashid tribal confederation, one of the two main tribal groupings in YemenHis father Abdullah Bin Hussein al-Ahmar - who died in 2007 - founded the Islamist Islah opposition partySheikh Sadeq's brother Hamid al-Ahmar is a prominent businessman and leading member of Islah. He has repeatedly called for Mr Saleh's resignation Another brother, Sheikh Hussein Bin Abdullah al-Ahmar, resigned from President Saleh's Governing People's Council on 28 February over the shootings of protestersAl-Arabiya TV reported that Mr Rai was in a critical condition.

State news agency Saba said an imam who was leading Friday prayers at the time and three presidential guards were killed.

Earlier, troops set fire to the headquarters of Suhail TV, while state TV showed pictures of the burning offices of national airline Yemenia, blaming it on the tribesmen.

The defence ministry said special forces personnel led by Mr Saleh's son, Ahmed, had been deployed for the first time.

It said they would help "liberate" more than a dozen ministries and other government buildings occupied by the tribesmen.

Tribal sources meanwhile said several thousand tribesmen were heading to the capital from surrounding areas to join the fighting.

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Air strikes 'target Yemen tribes'

27 May 2011 Last updated at 11:41 GMT Sanaa has already seen several days of street battles Yemeni government forces have carried out air strikes against tribal forces opposed to President Ali Abdullah Saleh, tribesmen say.

They said air force planes struck an area in Naham province, outside the capital, Sanaa, leaving an unknown number of dead and injured.

Government and tribal forces have been battling each other for days.

Supporters of the government and the opposition have both called for large demonstrations later on Friday.

President Saleh has faced a wave of popular protests similar to those seen in other Arab countries, as well as a mounting challenge from a rival clan.

Since Monday, more than 80 people have been killed in fighting between fighters loyal to Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar, head of the Hashid tribal federation, and security forces.

'Peaceful Revolution' Guardian journalist Tom Finn: "There are tribal mediators working behind the scenes"

The air strikes reported in Naham province, north-east of Sanaa, appear to mark a further escalation in recent fighting.

One tribal leader, Sheikh Ali Saif, told the Associated Press that his forces had taken control of a Republican Guard camp in Naham to try to prevent government forces from travelling to the capital to fight tribal gunmen.

Meanwhile, fighting also flared in the southern city of Zinjibar when dozens of armed militants believed to be linked to al-Qaeda stormed the city, attacking security forces, residents told Reuters news agency.

President Saleh has repeatedly refused to sign a deal that would see him transfer power within a month to a unity government.

It would also give the president immunity from prosecution.

Friday prayers have been a traditional rallying point for protesters calling for Mr Saleh to step down.

Anti-government protesters used Facebook and text messages this week to call for a "Friday of Peaceful Revolution".

One message said the rally "is to stress the peacefulness of the revolution and rejection of efforts to drag the country into a civil war".

Saleh supporters were planning their own "Friday of Law and Order" rally.

A text message said their rally would "condemn the crimes against our rights and the rebellion against the country".

During recent fighting in the capital, hundreds of residents have fled or taken refuge in basements to escape the mortar strikes.

On Friday, the leaders of the G8 group of wealthy nations issued a communique calling on Mr Saleh to stick to his commitment to end his 33-year rule.

"We condemn the use of violence in response to peaceful protest throughout Yemen," the statement read.

"We urge President Saleh to immediately follow through on his commitments and ensure that the legitimate aspirations of the Yemeni people are addressed."

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