As Yemenis are bracing themselves for another day of violence, the sounds of shelling could be heard in several areas of the capital, Sana’a.
At dawn this Tuesday, residents of the posh south Hadda district were woken up by heavy explosions and the firing of automatic weapons. According to military sources, forces loyal to the revolution would be battling Republican Guards in this area, trying to gain control over yet another district of the capital.
Since Hadda sits directly next to Saleh’s presidential palace, whatever fight will take place there is bound to be fierce and costly in lives.
North of Sana’a, sources close to defected General Mohsen al-Ahmar told the press that, the latter was still defending yesterday’s gained territories in al-Zubeyri Streets and at the Kentucky roundabout.
If the General manages to consolidate his victories, he would in essence sever the Republican Guards in two, preventing the troops from assisting each other, diminishing their abilities to defend the already tittering regime.
Protesters in “Change Square” claimed this morning that the University has suffered further shelling attacks, adding that tanks were firing from the nearby Noqoom Mountain.
Reports issued by medics in the capital are estimating the casualties as follow: 50 deaths, 658 wounded and 47 in critical conditions.
To make matters worse, eye witnesses are now accusing the government troops of targeting ambulances and medical staffs as they try to help the flow of injured coming through the hospitals doors.
The government meanwhile is still claiming that the violence being witnessed in Yemen is the product of al-Qaeda and dissidents troops, adding that at no time did it order its troops to fire live ammunition upon unarmed civilians.
In an interview to the press, activist Tawakul Karman announced yesterday that the National Council for the Revolution was determined to go ahead with its escalation plan, “organizing marches every day until the fall of the regime”, she said. “We will not allow thugs to deter us from our goals”, she added defiant.