Three killed and three injured in increasing violence in the south of Yemen

By Nasser Arrabyee/04/3/2010

Three people at least including two soldiers were killed and three others injured in clashes between security forces and armed separatists in Radfan and Shabwa, south of Yemen where secession sentiments are increasing day by day, local sources said Thursday.

A man was killed and three others injured when armed demonstrations, calling for disunity, fired randomly at the security forces who were removing a separation flag raised earlier by the separatists on the government's offices in Al Habeelin, Radfan, the sources said.

Two soldiers died when a military vehicle capsized because of high speed after armed demonstrators fired at a number of vehicles who came to disperse armed demonstrations in Mayfa'ah, Shabwah province.

Gunmen notably increased over the last two days in angry demonstrations organized almost daily by separatists after one of their leaders who called armed struggle, was killed in Abyan.

Qasem Abdul Rahman, the deputy governor of Lahj said that the majority of the demonstrators in Radfan on Thursday were armed, and they tried to storm government offices.

The official said the armed demonstrators raised the separation flag over the local authority offices in Al Habeelin before they clashed with the security men.