Sana'a: Armed men, reportedly loyal to the Yemen government, shot dead five protesters and injured more than 24, Dr Mohammad Al Qubati told Gulf News by telephone.
The doctor runs the field hospital in Change Square.
This is reportedly the first fatal incident since the signature of the Yemen president Ali Abdullah Saleh to GCC deal.
Gunmen targeted 'upper part of body'
"The gunmen targeted the upper part of the body; chest, neck, head and for the first time we have protesters died before arriving the hospital," the doctor said.
"In the past we used to have protesters breathing their last breath in the hospital."
Thousands of protesters marched through the street of the capital to denounce the GCC-brokered deal that give Saleh immunity from prosecution.
Saleh agrees to end 33-year rule
Sana'a: Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh finally agreed to end his 33-year rule by signing late yesterday the long-delayed Gulf Cooperation Council deal that requires him to cede power to his deputy Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi in exchange for immunity from prosecution.
The beleaguered leader, who remained defiant in the face of consistent anti-government protests for over 10 months, said he would cooperate fully with his country's new proposed unity government after he transfers power.
Saleh's resignation makes him the fourth Arab leader to succumb to the popular unrest that has spread through the Arab world this year. He follows Zine Al Abidine Bin Ali of Tunisia, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and Muammar Gaddafi of Libya.
This is the fourth attempt to wrap up a power transfer deal. Saleh has backed out at the last minute on three previous occasions.
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, who hosted the signing ceremony at his Al Yamama palace in Riyadh, hailed a "new page" for the impoverished neighbouring country. But thousands of demonstrators again to took the streets of the Yemeni capital Sana'a yesterday to protest against the deal's promise of immunity from prosecution for both Saleh and his family.
Walid Al Ameri, an activist, told Gulf News that the protesters reject the deal. "We are not concerned with the deal because it settles an agreement between the ruling party and the opposition. We will not negotiate with any person who stands in the way of our revolution."
Al Ameri called for new protests to demand Saleh's immediate departure.
Saleh is expected to travel to New York for medical treatment immediately after signing the deal, according to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. "If he [Saleh] comes to New York, I'll be happy to meet him," Ban said.
Saleh was previously forced to seek treatment in Saudi Arabia for injuries suffered in an assassination attempt in June after the last time he ducked out of the deal,
The resulting street battles devastated parts of Sana'a. Saleh's crackdown on protesters left almost 900 people dead even as he tried to end the demonstrations with promises of political change. Saleh promised "real partnership" with the opposition in implementing the Gulf- and UN-brokered agreement.
Saleh has been famous for his brinkmanship. But as Yemen slipped from political crisis into civil conflict in May, Saleh's evasions exasperated kings, presidents and even many loyalists.
How it works
- Under the power transfer agreement, which Yemeni President Abdullah Ali Saleh had stalled for months in defiance of intense domestic and international pressure, the leader will hand his powers to Vice-President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi but remain honorary president for 90 days.
- Under the roadmap brokered by the UN envoy to Yemen Jamal Benomar, Saleh will hand to Hadi "all powers necessary for proceeding with the Gulf initiative and its implementation mechanism and for organising early elections within a 90-day period which begins immediately after the signing."
- The opposition will immediately put forward a candidate to head a government of national unity, which will be charged with holding talks with the youth activists who have spearheaded the 10 months of protests, the UN envoy said.
- Saleh will remain honorary president for 90 days until Hadi is elected as consensus president for an interim two-year period, political sources said.
