Military reinforcements arrived on Monday in the Jardan district, Shabwa, after fierce confrontations erupted between the forces and tribesmen demanding jobs in a South Korean petroleum company.

The Alsahwa website quoted eyewitnesses as saying that heavy weapons were used in the clashes that broke out in the Fareha village, 50 km in northeast Ataq city.

Tribesmen from the clans of Al Dhabab and Al Sari'a demanded the government to allocate posts in the KNOC Company for them, and when their demand was ignored they forced the Company to halt its operations, the website said.

The authorities intervened after the move, but the tribesmen started to fire at them, triggering the clashes.

There were no reports of casualties.