Yemen gun battle near UK mission leaves four dead

Four Yemenis were reportedly killed and at least three others injured in a shoot-out yesterday between securitymen and the bodyguards of tribal chiefs near the British Embassy, eyewitnesses told Gulf News.

The sons of the Speaker of the Yemeni Parliament, Sheikh Abdullah bin Hussein Al Ahmer, who went to attend a wedding, wanted to park their cars along with their bodyguards near the embassy.

But the embassy guards prevented them from doing so for security reasons. The boys refused to listen to them and opened fire on them, sources said. During the exchange of fire bullets hit the embassy walls. Casualties included both bodyguards and securitymen, eye witnesses said.

Police sources, however, said that the gun battle left one dead and five injured. The exchange of fire continued for about two hours before the Central Security reinforced the guards at the embassy, located 10 metres away from its headquarters on the Hadda street.