Sana'a: A day after Yemen embattled leader Ali Abdullah Saleh welcomed the UN resolution that calls all factions to stop violence, government troops bombarded two peaceful protests in Sana'a and Taez, leaving 12 dead and hundreds injured.

In the capital, five protesters were killed and more than 100 injured as Saleh's forces opened fire at thousands of protesters.

"We organised a peaceful protest and took the same direction that we always take in the capital. Suddenly , Saleh forces and armed men in plain clothes attacked us with live ammunition, acid and tear gas," an activist told Gulf News.

Meanwhile, the government and defected general Ali Mohsin Al Ahmar reached a ceasefire agreement on Tuesday, an official statement said, as witnesses reported more fighting in the country. In Taez seven people, including a mother with her child, died in the shelling and dozens injured, witnesses said.