Houthis escalate protests as govt. offers concessions

Yemeni police on Tuesday opened fire on protesters marching toward the prime minister's office in the capital, Sanaa, killing at least four people and wounding 10, officials said. The shooting erupted during a rally by Houthi protesters who have been fighting against ruling government.

As the demonstrators marched up to the government headquarters, the police first fired tear gas to disperse the crowds, then started shooting. Medical officials said four people died. Witnesses at the scene said at least 10 were wounded by gunshots while several others were injured in a stampede that erupted after the shooting, as the protesters tried to get away from the scene.

The officials and witnesses spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to media. Tensions have been escalating in the Yemeni capital, where the Houthis have staged weeks-long anti-government demonstrations, often clashing with the police forces and demanding that the government resign. Negotiations have failed to diffuse the standoff and the Houthis have kept up their rallies, camping out in the heart of Sanaa.

Protesters threaten to further destabilize volatile Yemen, the Arab world's most impoverished country where authorities continue to battle militants led by the country's al-Qaida branch, considered by the US to be the world's most dangerous offshoot of the terror group.

President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi last week dismissed his Cabinet and promised to appoint a new premier within a week in a move to offer concessions, but the Houthis escalated their protests. The violence in Sanaa prompted neighboring Saudi Arabia to evacuate its embassy over the past two days and suspend flights to Yemen. Earlier this year, the kingdom listed the Houthis as a terrorist group.

SH/HRGH
MNA
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