UN: 50 Killed, Hundreds Wounded in Yemen City of Taiz

Massive Police Crackdown Fuels Anger Among Tribesmen

According to UN human rights officials, the violent police crackdown on the city of Taiz in Yemen has left at least 50 people dead over the past two days, and several hundred others badly wounded.

Reports indicate that the Yemeni Army backed up the local police as they used live ammunition and bulldozers to clear a protest camp in Horriya Square. The violence has spawned criticism internationally and is said to be fueling anger among the nation’s tribesmen.

Which, if recent action in Sanaa are any indication, is very bad news for the Saleh government. Tribesmen angered by crackdowns have been taking on the military in open conflicts, and in many cases winning, as the Saleh government controls less and less of the nation.

Efforts at a ceasefire with the tribal faction have so far failed. Though the tribesmen briefly abandoned government buildings in Sanaa, they are said to be working to retake them, angry at the regime’s efforts to end the pro-democracy demonstrations.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.