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Yemen Police Fire on Protesters, above 1200 injured

04 April 2011 07:36 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. At least one person was reported killed Sunday when police opened fire on anti-government demonstrators in the southern Yemeni city of Taez. Scores more were wounded, some seriously, APA reports.

Yemen has seen increasingly bloody protests against the country’s longtime ruler Ali Abdullah Saleh since late January. Mr. Saleh on Sunday called for an end to the protests and said he is willing to discuss the peaceful transfer of power "according to the constitution." His statement is seen as a rejection of the demands of protest leaders that the president step down immediately and turn power over temporarily to Vice President Abd al-Rab Mansur al-Hadi. They also are demanding the formation of a presidential council to lead the country during a six-month transitional period, as well as a restructuring of the army and security forces. President Saleh has offered to step down but only after new elections are held. His current term ends in 2013. He has been in power for 32 years.