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Yemeni government urge security forces to deter riots

13 May 2011 00:55 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Yemenâ€™s Defense Ministry on Thursday warned the security forces not "hesitate to take up arms to restore stability and deter lawless protesters of the opposition from committing riots", APA reports quoting Xinhua.

In a statement posted on its website, the ministry also said the security agencies would implement a series of measures to step up reinforcements across unrest-infested major provinces to strengthen security and protect government interests."

The ministryâ€™s statement came on the eve of planned pro- and anti-government massive rallies by tens of thousands of protesters in almost 17 major provinces, including the capital Sanaa.

Tensions soared after the opposition-backed protesters took control of several government facilities during the past few days in southern and northern provinces of Ibb, Taiz, Al-Bayda, Abyan, Marib, Al-Jouf and Saada, according to eyewitnesses.

The protesters announced earlier they would march forward all local presidential palaces to force President Ali Abdullah Saleh out of power.

On Wednesday, the protesters in Sanaa and Taiz began to march forward Salehâ€™s presidential palaces, where they were cracked down

by government forces using machine gun and tear gas, leaving dozens killed and hundreds others injured.