SANAA, 4 December 2004 — At least 29 people were killed and 20 wounded in two days of clashes between rival tribesmen in northeastern Yemen, tribal sources said yesterday.
Fighting between the Al-Maraziq and Al-Saida tribes in the Al-Jawf province broke out Thursday and was still continuing yesterday, the sources told Arab News.
Fifteen Al-Saida and seven Al-Maraziq tribesmen were killed and 14 injured from both sides when the fighting began late Thursday, the sources said, adding that the clashes were the result of tribal vendetta.
The sources said at least seven more were killed and six injured yesterday. They said the fighting erupted after a group of Al-Maraziq tribesmen killed two Al-Saida members near a military checkpoint in Al-Jawf, 190 km from Sanaa.
Local authorities said tribal dignitaries from Al-Jawf and the neighboring Marib province began mediation efforts yesterday to end the conflict. Armed clashes are common in Yemen, a largely tribal society where men carry firearms publicly.
