SANA'A: At least 8 people were injured as violent clashes broke out in the early morning of Friday in Mansoura City in Aden when tribesmen looted the city's local government building. Eyewitnesses said that the militants were seen carrying machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades (RPG). The tribesmen came from the southern governorate of Shabwah, led by Sheikh Hassan Banan al-Awlaki, who declared his support to the Southern Secessionist Movement years ago. Sources have confirmed that a number of tribal militants who were guarding Sheikh Banan al-Awlaki were injured in the clashes when their vehicles were shot heavily by the government forces. As hours went by, more armed revolutionary militants, favorable to a break from the north spread throughout the city as others decided to join the tribal militia. Once the tribesmen overran the local authority building, they hoisted the former flag of South Yemen chanting slogans against the Yemeni unity. Later on that day, the military sent several units to seize back the government building, bringing tanks and armored vehicles for back up. Residents reported that the clashes between the two forces lasted all through the night until the early hours of the morning and are still going on at the time of writing. In other areas of the city, loud explosions could be heard from near al Jabal Hotel, and eye-witnesses claimed that the government forces were targeting residential homes in an area controlled by the secessionist. Medical sources reported that the shelling campaign led to the death of 8 people, adding that scores of civilians had been injured. Ahmed Lamlas, the Chief Executive Officer of Mansoura's Local Authority, denied rumors that the his offices were looted by al-Qaeda militants, stated that it was Sheikh Hassan Banan's men who were the perpetrators. Interestingly, the Southern Secessionist Movement condemned the attack against the local authority, adding that the government response had been too virulent and out of proportion. The February 16th Youth Revolution is now maintaining that although it was tribesmen loyal to Sheikh Banan al-Awlaki who indeed looted the government building they were as well al-Qaeda operatives under his command, stating that they themselves had come to clash with the armed militia as they tried to spread chaos through Aden. Furthermore, Sheikh Hassan al-Awlaki has been accused by several sources of fleeing his province of Shabwa for he had been accused of murder and was escaping tribal revenge. BM
