Yemen: Soldiers Face al-Qaeda

According to reports, Yemeni soldiers killed 21 al-Qaeda members in a southern province that had been seized by Islamist fighters, on Saturday. 9 Yemeni soldiers were also killed while fighting in the Abyan province, whose capital Zinjibar was taken over by fighters last month.  The battles resulted in many fleeing from the province. According to President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s opponents, Saleh has handed over Zinjibar to Islamists in an effort to reinforce his threat that if his regime falls, it would result in a takeover by al-Qaeda.

Regardless of Saleh’s threats, thousands of protesters gathered in cities across Yemen on Friday calling for an end to Saleh’s rule and the formation of a transitional government. This signified the frustration among  the opposition over the slow process of demanded change.  Protests were held in the capital, San’a and Taiz, as well as in smaller cities in most of Yemen’s 21 provinces, organizers said. There were no reported clashes.