Yemen defected army, republican guards deploy forces as GCC head arrives in Sana’a

By Mohammed al-Kibsi

After the defected army had captured parts of al-Zubairi strategic street that divides Sana’a city into two halves yesterday the defected army tried to capture the ministry of oil and ministry of sports to the west of Kentucky intersection and advanced towards the republican palace in the east of the intersection on Monday.

The guards of the republican palace fought back, resulting in heavy confrontations between the republican guards commanded by the commander of the republican guards Ahmad Ali Abdullah Saleh and between the defected army commanded by General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, commander of the First Armor Division and of the Northern and Western Region.

Over a dozen were reported killed in today’s confrontations including a medical crew when their ambulance was hit by a shell in Zubairi Street.

The confrontations were calmed down after the secretary general Abdullatif al-Zyani arrived in Sana’a on Monday to try broker a ceasefire and to discuss with the Yemeni rivals the political situations in Yemen and possibilities of implementing the GCC pact.

Citizens in the southern parts of Sana’a complained that they could not come to the northern parts of the city as a result of the fighting adding that the roads are blocked either by the security forces or by the defected army and armed militias of the Islah Islamist party.  

Eyewitnesses said that both sides have been deploying forces onto the main streets of Sana’a in preparation for a massive battle.

Alsahwa-yemen.net website of the Islah party alleged that the tanks of the republican guards were deployed on Baghdad and Sakhr Streets in preparation for recapturing Kentucky intersection.

It added that the organizing committee of the revolutionaries has called on the youth to head into the intersection and said that the security and military forces affiliated to the regime have been firing extensively at the Kentucky intersection “recently called as the Annasr (victory) intersection’.

On the other handthe website of the ruling party said that a military source denied bombarding the headquarters of the First Armor Division neither by the Republican Guards nor by the Air Force as was reported by Aljazeera TV. “Any explosions took place there were from within the First Armor Division itself where allegedly there are a lot of honored liberals that reject the rebellion and that are loyal to the constitutional legitimacy,’ said the military source.

The same source added that the defected army shelled al-Nasr camp in Zubairi street with mortar shells and anti craft heavy machine guns.

Suhail TV. affiliated to the Islah party alleged that the camp in Assama’a mount was captured by the tribesmen of Arhab district, however the military source denied these news and said that such news were illusions.

Fierce confrontations have been taking place between the troopers of the first mountainous infantry brigade located in Assama’a mount that overlooks Sana’a Intl airport and between Islamist militants lead by Sheikh Abdulmajid al-Zindani and MP. Al-Haniq since last August. Over 300 tribesmen and troopers were killed in these fights.  

Eyewitnesses said that some civilians were killed in the confrontations when some families left their homes in fear of the confrontations but they were killed on the streets.