Pro-reform demonstrators in the industrial town of Sohar have clashed with police, leading to the deaths of six protesters. The protesters, demanding political and economic reforms, had blocked roads, attacked government buildings, and tried to free detainees from the town’s police station.
Two protesters were killed on Tuesday in a clash between pro-government demonstrators and anti-government demonstrators in the capital San’a. The shooting also left 10 protesters wounded. Seven government parliamentarians have resigned from their party in response to the violence directed towards the protesters.
Clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces over the past few days have left at least 200 dead and many more wounded. The government has reacted strongly against demonstrators, with reports of gunfire and restricted hospital supplies. In a televised address Muammar Gaddafi’s son and heir apparent, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi termed the demonstrators “seditious elements,” warning that Libya faced a civil war. “We will take up arms, we will fight to the last bullet,” he said. Restrictions on local and international media make it difficult to build an accurate picture of the demonstrations and to independently verify casualty numbers.