Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Gunmen take over Sanaa interior ministry bldg-official | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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SANAA, (Reuters) – About 100 armed tribesmen stormed the Interior Ministry building in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Sunday demanding to be enlisted in the police force, a ministry official said.

The tribesmen, who have taken control of the building, briefly held some employees hostage before freeing them a few hours later, the official said, but they were still occuping the building.

Tribesmen have fought alongside government troops in a U.S.-backed offensive against al Qaeda-linked militants that drove insurgents out of several towns in the south of the country last month. Many tribal fighters also sided with former President Ali Abdullah Saleh who was toppled by a popular uprising.