ADEN, Yemen, June 9 (Xinhua) -- One protester was killed and several others wounded on Tuesday as demonstrations over prolonged power outages and worsening living conditions continued for a third consecutive day across southern Yemen, local sources said.
A medical official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that the fatality occurred in Seiyun, the second-largest city in Hadramout province, when security forces opened fire on protesters.
In the southern port city of Aden, protesters gathered in several districts despite soaring temperatures and high humidity, denouncing the deterioration of basic services, particularly electricity.
Eyewitnesses told Xinhua that two protesters were injured in Aden, including a young man who sustained a gunshot wound.
Forces aligned with Yemen's Saudi-backed government were deployed across parts of Aden and Hadramout as authorities sought to contain the unrest and prevent further escalation.
The protests came as Aden continued to endure electricity outages lasting up to 20 hours a day amid extreme summer heat, deepening hardship for residents already grappling with rising living costs and a weakening currency.
Government-controlled areas of Yemen have struggled with chronic electricity shortages for years, a crisis that has worsened in recent months due to fuel shortages, funding constraints and mounting economic challenges.
Yemen has been mired in conflict since late 2014, when Houthi forces seized control of the capital Sanaa and much of the country's north, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government. ■
