7 killed as tribesmen storm Yemen\'s interior ministry

Seven people were killed and 30 injured in fighting on Tuesday Seven people were killed and 30 injured in fighting on Tuesday between Yemeni security forces and armed tribesmen loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who were trying to storm the Interior Ministry in the capital Sanaa, security sources told Arabstoday.
Many other people were wounded in what was some of the heaviest fighting in the capital since Saleh signed a deal to relinquish power last year after months of protests against his 33-year rule.
Security forces regained control of the situation, the sources said, but only after the attackers remained for a few hours inside the ministry\'s headquarters.  Eye witnesses said the gunmen stole several pieces of arms, furniture and equipment from the building.
The showdown has highlighted ongoing instability in Yemen, five months after Saleh was replaced as president by his deputy under a plan designed to end the political upheaval that severely weakened the state control over parts of the country.
The clashes around the ministry\'s headquarters saw hundreds of tribesmen exchanging fire with security forces during their second attempt at seizing the ministry in three days, to demand jobs in the police force.
The tribesmen say they were promised jobs in reward for siding with Saleh during the uprising that eventually unseated him.
On Sunday, around 100 tribesmen occupied the ministry, vacating it on Monday after officials promised to heed their demands.
The dead people left from Tuesday\'s clashes, included tribal gunmen and three belonging to the security forces, Arabstoday sources said.
In the same context, the military scenes have returned back to Sanaa\'s northern neighbourhood al-Hasba which is located close to the Interior Ministry, after several months of relative calmn. Streets where closed by gunmen amid fears that the Interior Ministry fights may reach the neighbourhood.
The ministry storming is the latest challenge for President Abdrabbu Mansour Hadi who is trying to restructure the armed forces and restore a semblance of normality to the impoverished country where Saleh\'s shadow still looms large.
Both the ruling party and the main opposition\'s coalition \"the Joint Meeting \" have exchanged accusations over this latest incident. The opposition said that this attack was a result of the government\'s \"complacency\" in dealing with Saleh\'s loyalties, while a source within the ruling General Congress Party (GCP) told Arabstoday that the opposition is to be blamed for this bloodshed as they sent large numbers of gunmen to attack the tribal fighters \"who were just demanding their rights.