SAN’A, Yemen — Yemen’s chaos deepened Monday when people looting a munitions factory in an area torn from government control by Islamist militants set off an accidental explosion that killed at least 78.
The militant seizure of the factory and nearby towns amplified Western fears that the fragile Yemeni state could deteriorate quickly because of President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s standoff with an opposition coalition of youth groups, military defectors, clerics and tribal leaders calling for his ouster.
Saleh has cooperated closely with the United States in the battle against Yemen’s branch of al-Qaida, which has used areas of Yemen long out of state control to launch attacks.
State control diminished sharply this month as massive demonstrations spiraled in major cities and the government pulled police from many towns, and anti-government protesters set up militias for self-defense.
The protesters blame Saleh for mismanagement, repression and the fatal shootings of protesters, and say they will not relent until he goes.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.