Separatists threaten Yemeni govt. with armed battle

Yemeni separatist leader Tareq al-Fadhli threatens to arm his supporters while over 30 people have been killed in the latest government airstrikes on the South.

Witnesses say al-Fadhli made his threats on Thursday, in response to what he called "official violence."

"We will provide weapons and megaphones to our supporters, and we will protest peacefully, or, failing that, we will confront the official violence," the witnesses quoted Fadhli, a strong supporter of independence in the South, as saying during a rally in Jinzibar.

Several protests in recent months have sparked bloody clashes with Yemeni security forces. The demonstrations in South Yemen are usually held by protesters who want cessation from the North.

A recent report by Human Rights Watch said state forces have killed 11 unarmed protesters over the past two years, in addition to other abuses.

Meanwhile, Yemeni security officials claimed the country's air force has killed 34 "suspected Al-Qaeda militants" in the Al-Said district in the southeastern province of Shabwa.

While the government claims only that militants are killed in its aerial bombardments, witnesses say that mostly civilians are targeted in the attacks.