Tensions continue to grow in Yemen. On Thursday, a police chief was shot dead during a protest in the south marking the 47th anniversary of the launch of its uprising against British colonial rule, a security official said. Abdullah al-Baham was shot in the head in Mudia in Abyan province during clashes between armed demonstrators and security forces who were trying to disperse them, the official was quoted as saying by AFP.
The security official blamed the shooting on supporters of the Southern Movement. But Movement official Abbas al-Assal dismissed the claim, saying it was committed by a masked man "who belongs to Al-Qaeda." Assal slammed security forces of "firing on peaceful protesters," adding: "We are peaceful and reject violence."
