7 killed in firing celebration of Yemeni president's speech
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Xinhua, July 8, 2011
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Photo handed out on July 7, 2011 shows Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh speaking in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Yemen's state television on Thursday aired a speech by President Ali Abdullah Saleh, the first appearance after he was attacked by a bomb on his presidential palace on June 3. [Xinhua] |
At least seven people were killed and dozens of others injured in Yemen's major cities due to random gunshots from government supporters celebrating the first televised appearance of wounded Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh late Thursday, medics and witnesses told Xinhua.
The celebrations came minutes after Yemeni state TV broadcasted a speech of Saleh, the first time he appeared since he was severely injured in a bomb attack on the presidential palace in Sanaa on June 3.
Medical sources told Xinhua that five people, including a child, were killed by random gunshots from Saleh's supporters during the celebrations and more than 60 others were wounded in the southern provinces of Ibb and Dhamar.
Earlier, a medical source in the protesters' makeshift hospital in the capital of Sanaa told Xinhua that "one protester was killed and 20 others were injured by gunshots of government supporters who fired heavy gunshots to celebrate Saleh's speech and appearance."
In the western province of al-Hodayda, one civilians was killed and nine others were wounded by celebrators' heavy gunshots, an eyewitness told Xinhua.
Doctors in the southern restive province of Taiz confirmed the injury of eight people by "gunshots of government supporters", saying that two of them were in critical conditions.
The Interior Ministry has warned citizens against firing to the air during their celebration of Saleh's speech.
