At least 17 protesters and soldiers were killed, witnesses and protesters said.
Hundreds fled from the midnight raid on the "Change Square" camp and mortar and sniper fire continued through the morning.
A Reuters correspondent saw flashes of light and loud explosions in the area, the heart of an uprising where thousands have camped for eight months calling for Saleh to quit power.
Protesters said the attacking forces included the elite Republican Guard and Central Security forces. Interior Minister Muttahar al-Masri however denied that a raid took place, blaming the gunfire on "extremists".
Saleh, who went to neighbouring Saudi Arabia for medical treatment in June for wounds suffered in an assassination attempt, said he wanted a truce to end days of fighting in the capital. This would allow peace talks to take place, he said.
He was also quoted by state news agency Saba calling for the capital of Sanaa to be cleared of "all armed elements" and for checkpoints and barriers to be removed.
At least six protesters have been killed since last night, according to a doctor at a mosque converted into a field hospital. Also killed were 11 soldiers from the First Armoured Division, led by General Ali Mohsen who defected and sided with protesters, according to a source in the generals' office.
Dozens of wounded streamed into makeshift clinics. Some of the bodies were badly mangled, a medic said. Interior Minister Muttahar al-Masri denied government forces had attacked the camp.
"This is unfounded, this is the propaganda broadcast by the partnership of the Muslim Brotherhood and al Qaeda. It is totally untrue, we have suffered more than 160 martyrs as a result of our protection to these (public) squares. As I said in the past 24 hours eight martyrs and more than 90 wounded."
"Who benefits from deaths at protests? There's no doubt that those who benefit from killing are (the Muslim brotherhood and al Qaeda). So that is why they aim to pursue killings, as for us, we are working to preserve the lives of civilians, either from the University Squares or the other four places for sit-ins across the country," he added.
In Washington, the Obama administration called for Saleh to hand over power and arrange for a presidential election by the end of the year.
Protesters escalated their marches in Sanaa this week by entering territory controlled by state forces, triggering a battle between loyalist and pro-opposition troops. About 100 protesters were killed in five days of bloodshed
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone provided by Airtel Nigeria.
No comments:
Post a Comment