The latest clashes between Yemeni government forces and al-Qaeda-linked militants in southern Yemen have killed 14, including 12 militants, officials said.
Late Wednesday, loud explosions and exchanges of fire were heard in the capital Sanaa, in the neighbourhood where the chief of the main tribe opposing Yemen’s president lives. There were no immediate reports of casualties. Three explosions were also reported near police stations and an intelligence office in the port city of Aden in southern Yemen.
A military official said on Wednesday that negotiations in the south with the fighters to end the bloodshed there were deadlocked.
In the latest fighting, witnesses said they heard a fierce exchange of gunfire and shelling overnight in Zinjibar and in a town to the west. The fighting lasted into the early hours of Wednesday.
A Yemeni undertaker said that he buried 12 militants and two civilians killed in clashes. The undertaker spoke on condition of anonymity because of security concerns.