Yemen soldiers killed in restive city

At least six Yemeni soldiers have been killed and dozens injured in an apparent ambush as they travelled to Zinjibar, a southern city reportedly under the control of al-Qaeda fighters, a security official has said.

According to residents, Yemeni warplanes later targeted positions held by the fighters.
Earlier on Sunday, residents spoke of up to 300 fighters entering Zinjibar and taking over "everything". The fighters were alleged to be al-Qaeda members.
Opposition leaders accuse Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemen's embattled president under pressure to quit and end his 33-year rule, of allowing Zinjibar on the Gulf of Aden, to fall to al-Qaeda and allied fighters in order to raise alarm in the region that would in turn win him support.
The security official who spoke about the attack in Zinjibar said he not did not know who was responsible and gave no figures of the injured soldiers.
Elsewhere in the troubled country swept by anti-government protests, at least 20 people were killed in the southern city of Taiz after soldiers opened fire indscriminately on a protest camp, a source said.

They did not give further details on the violence in Taiz, but said the death toll was likely to rise.

Ashraf Khandari, a journalist based in Aden, said protesters were sprayed with live bullets and hot water, adding that "a lot of people" had been killed.

The latest unrest came days after troops loyal to Saleh clashed with Hashed tribesmen who support the opposition.