'Deadly attack' on Yemeni convoy

16/05/2010| IslamWeb

At least two soldiers are said to have died and five others wounded after suspected separatist fighters reportedly ambushed the convoy of the Yemeni president in the Radfan district of southern Lahj province.

According to sources, the cars of Ali Abdullah Saleh, the president, was shot at by gunmen on Saturday.

But Saleh was not in the motorcade when it was ambushed.

Saleh, who was touring the region, has since returned to the capital, Sanaa.

Locals said senior officials were travelling in the convoy.

"Security forces are chasing the saboteurs," a security official said after the attack.

A suspected attacker was also killed in the ambush.

Authorities closed the road to avoid further incident in the province where the government has faced increasing secessionist protests in recent months.

Assassination attempt

The attack followed an assassination attempt on Yemen's deputy prime minister, on Thursday.

Fighters opened fire on the minister's office convoy in a different southern province, where he had attended celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of Yemen's unity.

Several soldiers, separatist gunmen and bystanders have been killed in the recent month's escalating tension in the south.

PHOTO CAPTION

Map of Yemen

Al-Jazeera