Yemen elite police chief sacked as rebel sit-in carries on

General Fadl Al Qawsi was fired on Monday, a day after clashes with Shiite Houthi rebels.

SANAA // Yemen sacked the commander of its police special forces on Monday, a day after clashes broke out as they tried in vain to disperse a Shiite rebel sit-in blocking the road to Sanaa airport.

General Fadl Al Qawsi was replaced by General Mohammed Al Ghadra, said an official.

The reason for his dismissal was not clear.

The Houthi rebels, also known as Ansarullah, said one demonstrator was shot dead and a number of protesters suffered gunshot wounds when police hurled tear-gas canisters and deployed water cannon against demonstrators on Sunday.

The special forces unit, known previously as the central security force, was loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who stepped down in February 2012 following a year of protests against his autocratic rule.

The Houthi rebels have been pushing for the government’s resignation, accusing it of corruption. They have also been demanding more powers within state institutions.

Houthi protesters blocking the airport road on Monday were only 100 metres away from the interior ministry, as their numbers grew despite the attempted crackdown, a witness reported.

Protesters have pitched new tents blocking access to the electricity and telecommunications ministries on the airport road, where they have been demonstrating for weeks.

Both ministries were closed on Monday.

“Outlaws have blocked access to the ministries of electricity and telecommunications and forced employees to leave,” a supreme security committee spokesman said.

Houthi rebels surrounding Sanaa were also preventing government vehicles from entering or leaving the capital on Monday.

Their leader, Abdulmalik Al Houthi, was expected to deliver a speech last night.

Ansarullah have so far rejected overtures from President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, who has offered to name a new prime minister and reduced a disputed fuel price hike.

Both concessions were core demands of the Houthis, who launched their protest movement on August 18, after battling troops and tribes for months over the control of key cities north of Sanaa.

Analysts say the rebels are trying to establish themselves as the dominant political force in the northern highlands, where Shiites are the majority community.

* Agence France-Presse