Yemen sees fresh clashes as mediation fails

Protests in Ibb on September 19 against the deadly clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces in Sanaa.NEW: One person dies when an airstrike hits a residenceAt least four other people are killed and dozens are wounded, medics sayYemen has faced months of demonstrations against the presidentA regional effort at peacemaking ends without result

(CNN) -- Government security forces fired on protesters in Yemen's capital Thursday, killing at least four people and injuring dozens, medical sources at a hospital near the city's Change Square said.

In addition, a fifth person died when an airstrike hit the residence of opposition leader Himyar Ahmed, the deputy speaker of parliament, according to eyewitnesses. The person killed was a supporter, the witnesses said, and 13 others were injured.

Sniper bullets killed four people in the square, according to a senior medical staffer at the Change Square field hospital who asked not to be identified for security reasons. The square has been the center of months of demonstrations against longtime President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The four included two women who were shot in the square earlier, five witnesses said.

Nine other protesters were shot by Republican Guard forces using artillery outside the square, with three of the injured in critical condition, medics on the scene said.

The government did not immediately respond to CNN requests for comment.

The violence came a day after funerals were held for 30 people killed in protests this week.

Senior members of the opposition were among more than 500,000 opposition supporters to attend the funerals, witnesses said.

At least 87 protesters were killed from Sunday to Wednesday, opposition sources said, and organizations including the International Committee of the Red Cross and Amnesty International pleaded for calm.

Yemen has been convulsed by months of demonstrations against Saleh.

A regional envoy's effort at mediation ended Wednesday with no clear result.

Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary General Abdul Latif al-Zayyani left Yemen Wednesday, failing to convince the ruling General People Congress party to sign a GCC proposal to transfer power.

The umbrella opposition group the Joint Meeting Parties refused to officially meet al-Zayyani for dialogue, saying that the ball is in the government's court and that the JMP has already agreed and signed the proposal.

"We did everything asked from us and any dialogue will only stall more time for this oppressive regime," said Mohammed Qahtan, the spokesman for the JMP.

"The GCC is not being fair when dealing with the Yemen crisis. It needs to tell the wrongdoer that he is wrong and save the country from further deaths and catastrophes," Qahtan added.

-- CNN's Kamal Ghattas and journalist Hakim Almasmari contributed to this report.

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Attacks target security offices in Yemen

From Hakim Almasmari, For CNN STORY HIGHLIGHTSNo immediate reports of casualtiesOne of the attacks struck the regional intelligence headquartersAnother struck the police stationRELATED TOPICSYemenWar and ConflictPeacekeeping and Security Sanaa, Yemen (CNN) -- Explosions rocked two government security offices Thursday morning in Aden, Yemen. The first explosion occurred at the city's political security headquarters, while the other was at al-Mualla police station, witnesses said.

No casualties were reported among security forces from either explosion, a security official at al-Mualla police station said. Explosives had been hidden behind the police station, the official said.

In all, at least four blasts were heard over the course of an hour in the city's al-Mansoora and Mualla districts.

Residents said that security forces fatally shot a child minutes after the explosions. "Police officers went on rooftops and started shooting," said Khaled Saleem, a resident of al-Mualla.

No immediate claim of responsibility was made, and speculation differed over who could have been behind the attacks.

A security official in Aden said it was unlikely that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was involved.

"The targets of the attack were security buildings but they seemed to be weakly planned," said the official.

However, a Yemeni government official who cannot be identified because he is not authorized to speak to the news media said that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula elements are suspected, since the group "vowed recently to retaliate for attacks against them in Abyan Province."

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has a presence in the southern province of Abyan, a U.S. official has said. It's also home to an Islamic militant movement that has targeted government troops.

In the capital city of Sanaa, clashes resumed early Thursday between tribes loyal to the Ahmar tribe and government forces in Hasaba district.

The clashes were in four areas of the district, one near the Interior Ministry, witnesses said.

Tribal fighters loyal to Sadeq al-Ahmar, the chief of the Hashed confederation, were seen gathering after Republican Guard forces tried to approach the residential compound of Sheikh Ahmar.

"This is what the Saleh regime has been hoping for all along," said Osair Abdul Karim, a tribal fighter who entered Sanaa a month ago, referring to President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has been in Saudi Arabia recovering from wounds suffered in an attack in June on his palace. "They want to kill, and we will defend ourselves."

Heavy artillery was used in the clashes, he said.

Clashes between Hashed tribesmen and government forces continued for 11 days in May resulting in the deaths of more than 80 people and the wounding of more than 400 others.

Thousands of houses were damaged in the spring fighting.

Mohammed Jamjoom contributed to this story

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