Army Fires Rockets at Yemen Protest: Rebels

Yemen’s military fired rockets at rebel protesters in the northern city of Harf Sufyan today, killing two, and wounding 13, the demonstrators said in a statement. The AP reports that witnesses say soldiers in an army post opened fire with heavy machine guns, believing the protesters were trying to attack the post. The government denied the claims, countering that armed men had fired on the post, wounding four, reports Reuters. Protesters threw rocks at the troops and called for Saleh to step down, shouting: "Leave! Leave!"

The protests, which rebels called peaceful and said demanded “the fall of the regime, an end to corruption and political change,” drew thousands. Meanwhile, President Ali Abdullah Saleh won't budge on his offer to step down after his terms ends in 2013; the opposition wants him to transfer power by the end of this year. (More Yemen stories.)