ADEN, Yemen, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Four protesters, including two children, were killed and over 20 others wounded in southeastern Yemen's province of Shabwa on Wednesday, as Yemeni government security forces and pro-secession activists and local residents gave sharply different accounts of the violence.
A local security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that joint security units "opened fire" to disperse a mass rally organized by the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in the provincial capital Ataq, after protesters were seen attempting to storm the local government building.
Witnesses and other local sources, however, accused security forces of using excessive force to prevent the demonstration, which was held in support of the STC and its chief, Aidarous Al-Zubaidi, and called for the independence of southern Yemen.
They said security forces have imposed a tight cordon around the designated protest site since early morning, and sought to block the protesters from gathering.
A government official from Shabwa defended the security forces' response, telling Xinhua that the forces have been directed to impose security and stability "after pro-STC protesters stormed state institutions and refused to calm down."
A local resident reported heavy security deployments around key institutions in Ataq. "The situation remains tense, with fears of further chaos," the resident told Xinhua.
The developments came amid heightened political tensions in southern Yemen following the formation of a new Saudi-backed government based in Riyadh, which is reportedly preparing to return to Yemen's southern port city of Aden in the coming days. STC supporters have vowed to block its return and called for large protests.
Yemen has been engulfed in civil war since 2014, when Houthi forces seized the capital Sanaa and large parts of the north.
The STC, formed in 2017, seeks self-determination and eventual independence for southern Yemen. Despite joining the Saudi-led coalition and integrating into the Presidential Leadership Council in 2022, the group continues to push for southern sovereignty, leading to recurring disputes over power-sharing and control of resources. ■
