|
Yemeni governor stabbed in protest riots in Marib
(Xinhua) -- Governor of Yemeni northeast province of Marib was stabbed in the chest while he was trying to break up a riot of anti-government protesters on Monday, a local security official told Xinhua.The official, requesting anonymity, told Xinhua that "Marib governor Naji bin Ali al-Zaidi was stabbed by knives several times in his chest when the protesters stormed the governor office in Marib city, the bustling provincial capital." "Governor al-Zaidi was hospitalized as security forces drove the protesters, who kept shouting 'People want to topple the regime' away from the building and placed in durance vile scores of them," the official said. Around 1,000 armed demonstrators surrounded the government compound since early Monday as governor al-Zaidi tried to appease it by promising to meet their demands, the official said. But the armed demonstrators refused all offers made by the governor, and opened fire into air to disperse the security guards and stormed the building, stabbing the governor several time in his chest, he said. Local reports said that almost all Yemeni families have ammunition, and the country's 23 million population own more than 60 million pieces of firearms, including heavy machine-guns and rocket launchers. The impoverished Arab country has been rattling by protests demanding immediate end of the 33-year rule of President President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh since mid February. Posted by: Fred 2011-03-15 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=318208 |