Yemen: president Saleh’s surprise return in Sanaa

By Rizwan Khatik - Fri Sep 23, 7:22 am

SANAA – Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh returned to Sanaa on Friday after more than three months of medical treatment in Saudi Arabia, even as his forces were battling dissident troops in the capital.

Saleh’s surprise return was announced by state television. He arrived by plane in Sanaa at 5:00 am (0200 GMT), an airport source said.

The 69-year-old Saleh, who has since January faced massive street protests demanding he step down, was hospitalised in Riyadh on June 4, a day after being wounded in a bomb attack on his Sanaa compound.

His return came as his forces were early Friday fighting dissidents loyal to General Ali Mohsen Al Ahmar in Sanaa for a sixth straight day, with almost 100 people killed since Sunday.

Both sides are backed by rival tribesmen, with witnesses saying the fighting on Friday was concentrated in the capital’s northern Al Hasaba district.