PRELIMINARY REPORTS: ROYG FORCES OPEN FIRE ON A

S E C R E T SANAA 002171 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR NEA/ARP E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/28/2017 TAGS: PGOV YM SUBJECT: PRELIMINARY REPORTS: ROYG FORCES OPEN FIRE ON A CROWD; ONE DEAD, TWO INJURED REF: A. SANAA 1856 ¶B. SANAA 1878 ¶C. SANAA 1910 ¶D. SANAA 2047 ¶E. SANAA 2064 Classified By: Classified by Ambassador Stephen A. Seche for reasons 1. 4 (b) and (d) (S) On November 29, a source in Aden told emboff by telephone that ROYG forces had fired from a helicopter on a crowd of people waiting at a checkpoint to enter the Aden governorate, killing one and injuring two more. (Note: In the past ROYG forces have prevented people from other governorates from entering Aden in order to better control anti-government demonstrations. This may have been the case in this situation as the ROYG prepares for demonstrations on November 30 marking the 40th anniversary of southern independence from British rule. End Note.) Several reliable Yemeni media sources are now also reporting that a ROYG helicopter fired on a crowd in Aden governorate, wounding three. DAO has received confirmation from ROYG sources that government forces fired on a crowd at a check point, but the source specifically denied that a helicopter was used. Tensions have been rising in the South for months (reftels),and post has been predicting that these would likely boil over into demonstrations and possible violence on key holidays including November 30 (refs b and e). At this point, post has not heard any reports of violence in Aden city or Sana'a. SECHE