Seven killed, 25 wounded in government shelling in Yemen's Taiz

ADEN, Yemen, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- At least seven people were killed and 25 were wounded Friday morning in heavy shelling by government forces in Yemen's southern province of Taiz, local medic and witnesses said.

"Forces loyal to Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh have been trying to storm the anti-government protesters' camp Freedom Square from different directions in central Taiz city since early Friday morning. However, they hit some residential neighborhoods," a witness said.

"The bombing killed at least seven people and wounded more than 25 others. Most of them were civilians," a local doctor told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Taiz, some 270 km southwest of the capital Sanaa, is Yemen's largest city where tens of thousands of people have been camping out in Freedom Square since February to demand "peaceful removal of the 33-year-ruler Saleh from power."

The impoverished Arab country with a population of 23 million has been rattled by 10-month-long clashes between the government forces and protesters backed by defected army and opposition rebels. The clashes have left thousands of people killed and injured.