Yemen declares state of emergency
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has declared a state of emergency across the country as the out-of favor regime intensifies its crackdown on anti-government protesters. Yemen's defense ministry announced on Friday that President Saleh made the decision following a meeting with the country's higher National Defense Council. The announcement came shortly after pro-regime loyalists and security forces opened fire on protesters in the capital, killing at least 40 people. Hundreds of protesters were also injured in the clashes. According to medical sources, most of the injuries were to the head, neck and chest. Witnesses say vigilantes also opened fire on demonstrators from nearby houses. Protesters are calling for an end to President Saleh's three-decade rule.
CSM: At least 30 killed in Yemen, raising fears of a broader conflict At least 30 were killed in Yemen Friday as government loyalists opened fire on opposition demonstrators gathered at Sanaa University, according to medical workers at the scene. Just after Friday prayers, men armed with semiautomatic weapons began firing on protesters from rooftops of buildings overlooking the area. Massive clouds of black smoke could be seen billowing from the edge of the demonstration area. “As soon as we got up from prayer they started firing from the tops of multiple buildings in the area,” said Essam al-Maqtary, a Sanaa resident who was shot in the leg. “The baltageya [thugs] lit tires on fire so nobody could see exactly where they were and so they couldn’t be recorded on video.”
PressTV: Snipers shooting Yemeni civilians - With a state of emergency already in place, snipers deployed by the Yemeni government are still targeting civilians from rooftops. At least 50 people were killed on Friday alone, when protesters took to the streets to call for an end to the three-decade rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, a Press TV correspondent reported. Following the peaceful protests, the Saleh regime launched a massive crackdown on Yemeni people before ordering a state of emergency. However, the state of emergency did not stop snipers from targeting the protesters.