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The return of President Ali Abdullah Saleh to Yemen has increased tensions in the restive capital. Pro- and anti-government demonstrators have turned out on the streets and reports indicate that fighting resumed in Sana’a.
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has returned to the capital, Sana’a. Saleh has called for a ceasefire and for talks between opposing parties.Residents report that fighting is occurring in at least four areas in the city and that Republican Guard tanks have taken up new positions in the capital, allegedly to restrict access to key districts. Fighting resumed in the capital yesterday, with clashes breaking out in al Hasaba district, and sporadic artillery fire continued throughout the night, particularly in Tagheer (Change) Square. At least four people have been killed in al Hasaba district in clashes between Hashid tribesmen and Yemeni security forces.
The ongoing political crisis in the capital has placed the Yemeni state at risk of a broader armed conflict. Further, the Yemeni state has been undergoing fragmentation. Al Qaeda has seized control of territory in south Yemen and the current situation has increased the organization’s operating space in the country.