Five Yemeni protesters died in Sanaa protests

The death toll from the most recent protests against the Yemeni government in Sanaa grew from two to five Wednesday and the number of injured more than doubled to more than 65, according to eyewitnesses and field medical staff.

The five victims died of gunshot wounds. Nine of the injured are listed in critical condition, according to medical staffers treating the victims.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday failed to agree on a diplomatic reaction to the crisis in Yemen as anti-government sentiment and reported violence by the regime escalated in the Middle Eastern country.

In the council's first meeting on the situation in Yemen, Germany and Lebanon introduced a statement that would have called for restraint in violence, among others.

However, a U.N. diplomat said concerns by China and Russia blocked a unified response.

Some countries wanted more time to consult their governments. One diplomat called it a sensitive issue and complex enough that council countries were reluctant to agree to a statement at the time.
On Tuesday, government forces in Sanaa and Taiz fired on crowds protesting the regime of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, killing several demonstrators and wounding dozens of others, eyewitnesses and medical sources said.

Witnesses described hundreds of thousands in the two cities as the protests against Saleh's longtime rule appeared to gain strength.

"Ambulances are everywhere and the injured are laid on the ground," said Riadh Saleh, an anti-government protester in Sanaa. "They (police) shot at us directly, and the injured are hundreds."
Earlier, a huge crowd of protesters marching on a street in Sanaa included tens of thousands of women.

Saleh said last week that female protesters were violating Yemeni cultural norms that prohibit women from mixing with men who are not direct relatives. His comments angered many activists.
"We want to tell the Gulf states that their only option is to force Saleh to step down," said female activist Laila Abdul Kareem. "He is one person while we are millions."

On the small island of Socotra at the mouth of the Gulf of Aden, more than 3,000 people marched against the regime Tuesday and denounced the Gulf Cooperation Council's proposal last week, which urged Saleh to transfer power to his vice president.

"No way, no way, will we agree!" the protesters chanted, according to witnesses.
CNN was not able to independently verify the witness accounts.

Field medical sources and a member of the protest organizing committee in Taiz said one protester was killed and seven injured Tuesday from gunshot wounds.

The state-run Saba News Agency did not mention the anti-government protests but said pro-government demonstrators had taken to the streets in four provinces to support Saleh and the Yemeni government.