Youth killed, students wounded in Yemen clashes

Sanaa (Yemen), Feb 20 (AFP) A youth was killed in Adenand several students were shot and wounded in clashes withYemeni government supporters near Sanaa university, with theinterior ministry denying initial reports that one had beenkilled in the capital.

"A number of demonstrators were wounded... but onlyfour remain in hospital," an unnamed ministry official said onthe ministry''s Sep26.net news website, adding that there wereno deaths in Sanaa.

Earlier, an AFP correspondent had said one protesterwas shot dead and five wounded in the clashes after he hadseen the body of the student, hit by a bullet.

The shootings came as government supporters, armedwith guns, batons and rocks, tried to break into the campusand students responded by hurling stones.

Tribesmen and plain-clothes police also attacked thestudents during the clashes, the AFP correspondent said,adding that police did not intervene but blocked roadsleading to the campus.

Later, supporters of President Ali Abdullah Salehdispersed the protesters and took control of the area aroundthe university campus and surrounding roads, the correspondentsaid.

On Friday, at least four anti-regime protesters werewounded by Saleh supporters, who attacked the demonstrationarmed with batons and axes.

Students have tried for the past week to march on thepresidential palace but have been intercepted each day bystone-throwing regime supporters.

Protests continued yesterday in the main southern cityof Aden, where fierce clashes the previous day killed fourpeople and injured 17, five of them soldiers, according tomedics and witnesses.

Later yesterday, medics reported a 16-year-old youthwas killed by a stray bullet near his home in the Sheikh Osmandistrict of Aden as security forces tried to break up ananti-regime protest.

His death took to 10 the number of people killed inthe city since rioting erupted there on Wednesday, accordingto an AFP tally.

Demonstrations took place in the neighbourhoods ofKhor Maksar, Al-Mansura, Sheikh Osman and in Dar Saed, wheresecurity forces detained eight people, as well as in Mualla,the sources said.

"The ruling party are killers" and "No south, nonorth -- our revolt is for the youth," chanted protesters.

Three demonstrators were wounded when police openedfire to disperse a protest in Sheikh Osman, witnesses andmedics said. (AFP)