SANAA, Yemen — Shelling by Yemeni security forces killed a young girl Friday, and army forces fought with Islamists who have overrun a southern town in clashes that killed four combatants.
Security across Yemen has nearly collapsed amid five months of mass protests seeking to topple the regime of longtime President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
In the city of Taiz, south of the capital Sanaa, security forces have been clashing for weeks with armed tribesmen who say they came to protect protesters after a deadly government crackdown.
A government shell hit a home in the city Friday, killing a young girl believed to be about 10 and injuring two of her relatives, said a medical official who saw the casualties.
To the southeast, security forces clashed with militants near Zinjibar, capital of Abyan province, in fighting that killed two soldiers and two militants, a security official said Friday. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters.
Islamists believed to be linked to al-Qaida have seized Zinjabar, another nearby town and a number of villages in the area, and the Yemeni army has been fighting to push them out, causing casualties on both sides.
Also Friday, Yemen's Press Union said that someone had opened fire on the car of state TV presenter Yasser al-Mualemi, who has declared his backing for the anti-government protesters. He was wounded in the led.
The Union called the Thursday night attack an "assassination attempt" and appealed to Yemeni authorities to find and punish the shooter.