Guards clash at Yemen presidential palace in Aden

At least two members of the presidential guard have been injured in a clash that erupted inside the presidential palace in Aden.
2 min read
03 November, 2015
Yemeni fighters patrol the streets of Aden [Getty]

Guards at the presidential palace in Yemen's second city Aden clashed on Tuesday with militiamen providing security for the complex in a dispute over unpaid wages, a military source said.

At least two members of the presidential guard were wounded in the shootout, the source said.

The clash reflects a state of chaos that prevails in Aden, the country's main southern city which pro-government forces backed by Saudi-led coalition air strikes recaptured from Houthi rebels in July.

The presidential guard is led by a son of President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who returned briefly to Aden in September from exile in Riyadh, to where he has since gone back.

Soldiers from the force clashed with fighters from the Popular Resistance, a group of southern factions that fought alongside Hadi loyalists against the Houthi rebels, the military source said.

The fighters were protesting a delay in their wages, the source added.

"The fighting has subsided, but tension remains at the Maashiq palace," the source added.

The palace was severely damaged during the fighting between Hadi loyalists and the rebels, but was recently repaired by the UAE, which along with Saudi Arabia is taking a lead role in supporting Hadi.

Hadi declared Aden a temporary capital after he fled house arrest in Sanaa in February, months after the insurgents overran the capital unopposed. He later left for Riyadh as the Houthis approached Aden.

33 killed in Taiz

Yemeni security officials say fighting between Houthis and their opponents has killed over 33 people in the past 24 hours in Taiz, Yemen's third-largest city.

The officials said on Tuesday that 21 Houthi rebels died in Saudi-led air raids. Eight civilians died when their bus hit a land mine and four fighters from the anti-Houthi forces were killed in street clashes.

The officials are independent in the conflict roiling Yemen. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to talk to journalists.

At least 2,615 civilians have died since the anti-Houthi airstrikes began in March, according to the U.N.