Civil war looms as big explosions rock Yemeni capital

SANAA- heavy explosions rocked the Yemeni capital Sanaa in the small hours of Thursday fighting to overthrow President veteran, Ali Abdullah Saleh, threatened to descend into civil war.

Over 40 people were killed since Monday in a part of Sanaa North where fighters loyal to the powerful tribal leader Sadiq al-Ahmar have been attacker and attempt to take in charge the Government buildings, including the Department of the Interior.

A correspondent for Reuters was awakened after midnight by these more recent explosions.

"Explosions can be heard throughout the city in the South of Sanaa. "This seems to be weapons heavier than machine guns and mortars in recent days," said a resident.

Each side the other blamed the violence, the opposition said could begin a civil war.

Citizens fled the capital to escape fighting in the region of Hasaba of Sana'a, which broke out a day after Saleh withdrew for the third time in a negotiated settlement to the Gulf Arab for him to resign and make room for a Government of national unity.

Mounting pressure since February, when protesters inspired by the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt started to camp in the squares and marching in hundreds of thousands in cities across the Arabian peninsula of the State to call for Saleh's poorest go.

Attempts by Saleh to stop the demonstrations by force resulted in hundreds of deaths.

Saleh, a shrewd political survivor, said Wednesday that he would be no concessions more to those who seek to his departure.

CITY AT WAR

But the capital of the country of 23 million began to feel like a city at war.

Fighters dressed in civilian roamed some districts Wednesday and machine-gun fire sounded sporadically.

Electricity was intermittent and Sana'a airport has been closed. Many city-centre streets were deserted in the afternoon, but for government control points.

Long lines of cars winding out of the city bags stacked on their roof, while armed men blocked entrances to prevent the tribes to bring reinforcements, said witnesses.

"It is possible to stay in Sanaa." Confrontations will reach all parts of the city, "said Abdullah Murad." which he left in car "I fear for my life." I will go to my village in Ibb. The situation is safe. ?

Witnesses and officials, said supporters of Ahmar, head of the Federation tribal Hashed tribe of Sanhan which Saleh belongs also controlled several buildings Department near Ahmar compound, including trade and tourism ministries, and offices from the Saba news agency.

Veterans of the Ahmar has also attacked the main building of the Ministry of the Interior, which were courtyard of rockets, witnesses said.

The television images of the Ahmar compose showed tribes rushing through rooms opulent but dusty, their floors splashed with blood, as they helped colleagues wounded in the fighting.

Saleh said invited journalists, including a correspondent of Reuters Wednesday that his Government was "firm".

"Money with the shock of what happened to us by the son of al-Ahmar: chaos and attacks against the institutions of the State, the press and the Ministry of industry and the Ministry of the Interior." It is an act of provocation to drag us into a civil war...

"We are contacting some people to talk to them and convince them to stop trying to storm, the Ministry of the Interior and the opening of the Fire Department to avoid the conflict widening."

Saba said four civilians were killed and 11 wounded in the fighting on Wednesday.

"THIRST FOR BLOODSHED".

Subject turn Saleh-Sunday after armed men loyalist trapped diplomats Western and Arab to the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates United for hours, appeared sparked a major reaction.

General Ali al-Mohsen, a commander of the regional army who has sided with the demonstrators, called the armed forces to defy Saleh.

"Beware of follow this madman who is thirsty for blood," Mohsen said in a statement.

"I think that it is a real risk that violence can escalate, and we see a movement towards low-intensity civil war," said Shadi Hamid, analyst at the Brookings Doha Center.

"There is a real loss of faith in the political process after Saleh refused to sign an agreement several times.". That really cast doubt on whether Saleh has any real commitment to let go of power voluntarily. ?

Saleh said that the deal was still on the table, despite its repeated failures to sign:

I am ready to sign in a national dialogue and a clear mechanism. If the mechanism is valid, we will sign the transition of power deal and we will give up power...

"No concession over after today", said.

The United States and Saudi Arabia, the two targets of attacks foiled by an al-Qaeda wing based in Yemen, sought to defuse the crisis and to avoid any spread of lawlessness that would give more space to operate the global activist network.

Spokesman for the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki - moon Martin Nesirky said ban was deeply troubled by clashes in Sanaa and further calls the peace efforts and the immediate end to the fighting, while Britain reiterated calls Saleh to sign the contract of output.

Yemen tribe revolts capital

 Yemeni security and medical officials said 38 people were killed in fighting between powerful anti-Government tribes and the forces of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

A security officer, said 14 soldiers were killed in the fighting and 20 other people had disappeared. A hospital official, said 24 tribes were killed. The two spoke of officials on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case.

Most powerful tribal fighters and soldiers fire exchanged in the capital Tuesday, the Yemen with shells, mortars and launched street fighting. It is a rapid escalation in the uprising that threatens to become a revolt led by the militia after the failure of mediation obtain Saleh to resign from his duties.

Saleh appealed for a ceasefire.

IT IS AN UPDATE OF BREAKING NEWS. Check back soon for more information. Previous AP story is below.

SANAA, Yemen (AP) - the most powerful fighters of tribes of the Yemen fired on government buildings and soldiers retaliated with heavy shelling Tuesday the uprising against President Ali Abdullah Saleh threatened to become a revolt led by the militia after the failure of the manifestations of street and mediation of Arabic.

Tribal leaders say at least seven militiamen were killed, but the full balance sheet did not know immediately as the heart of the capital has been transformed into a no-man s land with fire heavy artillery, mortar and artillery apparent Government forces.

Both sides traded blame for triggering the latest violence, deepen the gaps and suggesting Yemen could stagger towards a potentially bloody confrontation between well armed tribal militias and troops of pro-Saleh.

A statement by opposition groups accused Saleh of "drag the country to chaos." The Ministry of the Interior, criticized in turn, the "blood" on Sheikh Sadeq al-Ahmar, the leader of greater tribe of the Yemen, called the Rashid.

Saleh has refused to resign despite three months of protests almost nonstop call for an end to his 32-year rule. He was also snubbed attempts by its Arab neighbours to negotiate his release.

But the decision taken by the tribe of al-Ahmar and others to take up arms significantly alters the balance.

The tribes of the Yemen are considered as essential allies for any Government to survive. Al-Ahmar and others had abandoned Saleh two months even though it is also a member of the clan Rachid. But the tribes decided to keep their weapons failed, then the Government forces fired on street demonstrations in the attacks which have claimed more than 150 victims.

Now, however, battles which began Monday can significantly increase the pressure on the regime of Saleh - either by encouraging clan leaders more to join the struggle or push military officials to abandon the Government.

"The defection of Sheikh al-Ahmar was a very hard blow to the Yemen that any leader because survives only well tribal support," said Faris al-Saqqaf, policy analyst at the independent centre for future research in the capital Sanaa, Yemen. "Saleh is al-Ahmar slaps in the face like al-Ahmar slapped in the face and he wants revenge."

Tuesday the clashes broke out after Government forces tried to assault consisting of al-Ahmar district of Hassaba of Sanaa, a region which includes the ministries of the Government and the headquarters of the Party of the Saleh.

Jets carry out heavy shelling in the Libyan capital

TRIPOLI- Jets screamed low over Tripoli early Tuesday, making a series of strikes in quick succession, after witnesses reported two near offices of State media a few hours before.

Jets carried out eight strikes in about three hours in an exceptionally large bombing of Tripoli, which is usually hit by strikes more than two or three at a time.

Four explosions rocked the capital Jamahiriya shortly after 2: 00 pm (0000 GMT) on Tuesday, shaking the Windows of a hotel of journalists. They were quickly followed by two more explosions.

Sirens and screams could be heard in the distance after the airstrikes, sporadic firing of assault rifles and heavy weapons sounds and jets continued to fly over the city.

Late Monday, witnesses reported two explosions in the capital as jets flew overhead, adding that smoke increased from a site near the offices of Libyan television news agency and State JANA.

At least a strike hit a building that already was bombed on 30 April, a minder on a trip sponsored by the Government for the site said, adding that the building housed various organizations of civil society.

The roof of the part of the building was blown along a wall, and the basement was visible through the destroyed floor. A guard on the site, said that the building was hit around 11: 00 pm (2100 GMT).

Soaring telecommunications tower is sitting in a parking lot near the building.

There is no case of losses in strikes on Monday.

The explosions came after NATO Chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said time is short for leader Libyan Moamer Kadhafi, who "should achieve, sooner than later, that there is no future for him or his regime.".

An international coalition began to operate against the pro-Gaddafi attacks, on 19 March, by resolution of the United Nations to protect civilians. NATO took command of operations on the Libya on March 31.

The Libyan regime, said on May 1 that Seif al-Arab al-Gaddafi, a son of Libyan leader, and three of his grandchildren were killed in an air attack on NATO on a compound in Tripoli.

The regime has called the strike a bid to assassinate Kadhafi.

5 decapitated bodies found near Mexican capital (AP)

TOLUCA, Mexico - Police in the suburbs of Mexico City has found a total of five bodies decapitated Tuesday accompanied by messages of the kind often left by the drug traffickers.

The bodies were found at two sites in the State of Mexico, which surrounds the capital. While most of the violence of drug in the country has been spared in Mexico City, executions took place in communities just outside it.

Attorney Chief State Mexico Alfredo Castillo said that four bodies were found in a compact car. Their heads were also found in or around the vehicle.

A decapitated body was found Tuesday in another suburb in two plastic bags. The two officers of sites found messages signed "hcc", a reference similar to a drug gang.

Also Tuesday, prosecutors in the North of the State of Durango announced that six sets more human remains had been found in excavations at mass graves continued, bringing the total number of bodies in a search for long months of sites to about 110.

Sites around the capital of the State, also known as Durango, are pits where are considered that the drug traffickers buried their victims.

The tombs of Durango are the second discovery in a month. A total of 183 bodies were discovered in pits 40 in the northeast border of Tamaulipas State.

Graves became a discovery more and more common in the war against the brutal drug of the Mexico, who made more than 34,600 victims since President Felipe Calderón has deployed thousands of security forces federal four years of fight against traffickers. The offensive has led to a fragmentation of the cartels and increased gang fighting on the territory of the country.

State authorities through the Mexico sent reports of missing persons in Tamaulipas and families successive morgues to give DNA samples. The process was slow, with only two bodies identified so far.

The authorities of the State of Durango to say that the discovery of mass graves, he there did not lot of parents of disappeared persons, perhaps because families are too afraid to come forward.

Alejandro PEAR, the spokesman for the Federal Government for security issues, defended offensive of the Government against the drug cartels, saying: no there was no evidence that it has triggered an increase in violence.

"The intervention of federal authorities, from the increase in the tendency to violence, prevented increases," pear told journalists Tuesday.

"This is not true that the capture or death of the criminal leaders caused violence increase," he said.