Yemen regime blamed for attacks on journalists

Dozens of journalists accused Yemen's ruling party of plotting attacks on journalists covering anti-regime protests in Sanaa.

"These attacks are organised and the ruling (General People's Congress) party is behind them," the journalists said in a joint statement on Saturday, after gathering at the journalists' union offices.

President Ali Abdullah Saleh was held directly accountable for the attacks and called on to halt harassment and to withdraw government "thugs" from the streets of Sanaa.

Dozens of journalists, including AFP correspondents, have been beaten while doing their job during the past week.

On Monday, BBC journalist Abdullah Ghorab and his cameraman Mohammed Omran were deliberately attacked by government supporters while reporting on violent protests against Saleh near Sanaa University, the broadcaster said.

On Saturday, one Yemeni student was killed in the seventh straight day of clashes with government supporters in Sanaa.