Yemen's Special Forces capture tribal rebels, confiscate arms,liberate 4 ministries

Yemen's Special Forces capture tribal rebels, confiscate arms,liberate 4 ministries

Source: Xinhua,03/06/2011

SANAA- Yemeni Special Forces captured several groups of armed tribal rebels and confiscated a large quantity of weapons on Thursday, hours after they re-controlled four government buildings in downtown Sanaa, official Saba news agency reported.

"The special forces stormed the headquarters of the opposition key satellite television Suhail in Hassaba area, arresting many armed tribesmen loyal to the opposition tribal leader Sadiq al- Ahmar and confiscating a lot of weapons," Saba quoted an unnamed security official as saying.

Earlier the day, the Defense Ministry's news website reported that the Special Forces regained control of four government buildings which were seized over the past few days by armed tribal rebels in Sanaa.

"Following fierce battles overnight with armed forces led by opposition tribal leader, Yemeni Special Security Forces on Thursday managed to regain control over the official Saba news agency, the state-run Survey Authority, Ministry of Industry and Trade and Ministry of Tourism," the ministry said.

It said the Special Forces are continuing to cleanse the whole area of Hassaba district in downtown the capital from what it dubbed "the armed gang" of opposition tribal leader Sadiq al-Ahmar.

Al-Ahmar, who is the chieftain of northern powerful Hashid tribes confederations, has been waging pitched street battles against the government forces since May 23 after President Ali Abdullah Saleh refused to sign a Gulf-brokered deal to ease him out of the power.

On Wednesday, the Yemeni government announced that the Special Security Forces also regained control over Ministry of Local Administrative, a branch office of Agriculture Ministry, Hassaba Police Station and the headquarters of the ruling party.

It said that after those government buildings were freed, the security forces found many dead bodies of northern Houthi-led Shiite rebels inside the buildings.

The 11-day-long battles in Hassaba district in downtown Sanaa have left hundreds of people dead and many others injured.