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Yemen on verge of civil war
Yemen’s embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh has vowed he would not step down or allow his impoverished nation to become a “failed state” even as urban combat between government troops and armed tribesmen engulfed parts of the capital.
Yemen’s embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh has vowed he would not step down or allow his impoverished nation to become a “failed state” even as urban combat between government troops and armed tribesmen engulfed parts of the capital.
Both sides raised the specter of civil war as the three-day death toll from fighting rose to at least 69 on Wednesday. The latest violence comes just days after a failed Arab mediation effort to end the three-month uprising and ease Saleh from power.
In the Arhab region about 32 kilometres northwest of Sanaa, a brigade of Saleh’s presidential guard clashed with local tribesmen an indication the fighting was spreading outside the capital. Six soldiers were killed.
Russia recognises anti-Gaddafi council
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said it recognises anti-Gaddafi Transitional National Council as a legitimate negotiator in resolving the Libya crisis and deciding the future of the country.
