Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh flew to Saudi Arabia for urgent medical treatment after a rocket attack on his palace. The departure of Saleh and much of his family Saturday followed intense pressure to quit from Gulf neighbors and the USA.
A Yemeni official told the AP Saleh had left with most of his family. A statement from the Saudi royal palace said a Saudi medical team traveled to Yemen to examine the Yemeni leader, then advised him to seek treatment in the kingdom. Saleh agreed and left Saturday night, the statement said.
Officials said Yemen's constitution calls for the vice president to take over in the absence of the president. Several other senior regime leaders, including the prime minister, also were in Saudi Arabia after being injured in Friday's attack.
