41257515 Wounded Yemeni President addressed the nation
In the broadcast state television Yemen on Friday evening, June 3, was published audiotape with an appeal by President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who earlier in the day, was injured during the shelling of the presidential palace. As reported in his blog Yemeni Al-Jazeera, Saleh blamed the attack on the family of the tribal alliance led by Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar, which he called a bunch of thugs. Saleh expressed his confidence that the forces of tribal alliance will be broken, and called on the people of Yemen to unite for the sake of the country. Furthermore, the President assured that he was all right and he is in good health. According to Agence France-Presse, which refers to the representative of Yemen's ruling party, 65-year-old Saleh was slightly wounded in the neck. TV channel Al-Arabiya reports that, according to Saleh, the attack on the presidential palace killed seven soldiers. Previously reported four dead. Also, Al-Arabiya reported with reference to the Yemeni media that the explosion, which killed people, occurred in the mosque of the palace complex. As previously reported, the palace Saleh shelled. As a result, besides the President were wounded, Prime Minister of Yemen, the speaker of parliament and other dignitaries. Shortly after the bombing of the Yemeni opposition announced the death of Saleh, however, this information proved to be untrue. June 3 was also reported that government forces shelled the house of Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar. As noted, an open military confrontation between the forces supporting the Yemeni leadership and opposition forces began in late May after the authorities' attempts to arrest al-Ahmar, and another failure Saleh to step down. Mass demonstrations in Yemen, demanding the resignation of Saleh, who ruled for 33 years, began in January 2011.
