The officials said the security forces opened fire with live ammunition on Saturday when tens of thousands of protesters approached an area of central Sanaa under the control of the Republican Guards, an elite force led by the son of embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh. They also used tear gas and water hoses to disperse the protesters.[break]
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Saturday´s demonstration was part of an eight-month-old protest movement calling for the ouster of Saleh, Yemen´s leader of 33 years.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP´s earlier story is below.
SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Tribal elders say the son of slain U.S.-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki has been killed in a U.S. missile strike along with six other al-Qaida militants, including the media chief of the terror group´s Yemeni branch.
The elders in the southeastern province of Shabwa where the strike took place identified the son as 21-year-old Abdul-Rahman al-Awlaki. There was no official confirmation of his death from Yemeni authorities.
The elders, who spoke Saturday on condition of anonymity because they feared reprisals, had earlier said that five of al-Awlaki´s clan were among the seven people killed in the missile attack.
The older al-Awlaki, a gifted Muslim preacher and savvy Internet operator who became a powerful al-Qaida recruiting tool, was killed Sept. 30, also in a U.S. drone attack.
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