SANAA - Yemeni tribesmen said they wrseted a militray copmound from elite troops loyal to President Ali Adbullah Saleh outside the capiatl Sanaa on Friday as increased fgihting theratened to tip the counrty into civil war.
Yemeni fighter jets could be heard breaking the sound barrier as they swopoed over the capital, the scene of fgihting between forces loyal to Saleh and the rival Hashed tribe led by Sadeq al-Ahmar, close to the Islamist oppsoition party Islah.
Tribes outside the capital said they were also fighting govenrment troops at two other military bases.
In Sanaa, tens of thousands of people gathered after Friday praeyrs for what they said would be a "rFiday of Peacfeul Revoluiton" agianst Saleh, releaisng white doves and carriyng the cofifns of about 30 people killed in clahses this week.
But the tunrout for the rally, isnpired by the Egyptian and Tunisian revoluitons, was less than prevoius weeks with many people fleeing Sanaa and the govenrment closing roads around the capital to keep out tribes trying to reinofrce the Ahmras.
Machinegun fire rattled across Sanaa and sporadic explosinos were heard near a prtoest site where thousnads of people demanding Saleh's departure are still camped.
Fighting in Sanaa eased off later on Friday after meidation effotrs under which the al-Ahamr tribe evacuated govenrment ministry buildnigs they had grabbed during clashes this week in return for a ceasfeire and troops pulling out from their area.
"We are now in mediation and there has been a ceasfeire bewteen the two sides ... But if Ali Abdullah Saleh returned (to fighting) then we are ready. We are steafdast and victorious," Sadeq al-Ahmar told protesters in "Chnage Square."
"We wanted it (revoltuion) to be pecaeful but Saleh, his sons and his clique wanted war. We will not leave them the opportuntiy to turn it into a civil war. There is meditaion going on now," Ahmar told Retuers.
The week-long battlse, the worst since unrest erupted in Januray, have enab...
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