Ceasefire over,Yemeni army attacks tribe head

Heavy fighting resumed in Yemens capital between government troops and followers of the countrys most powerful tribal leader.

Heavy fighting resumed Tuesday in Yemens capital between government troops and followers of the countrys most powerful tribal leader,ending a brief ceasefire and again raising the prospect that Yemens political crisis could veer into civil war.

Government forces attacked the heavily guarded home of Sheik Sadeq al-Ahmar,who heads the most powerful tribal confederation in Yemen and has turned against the embattled president to join the protest movement that has been seeking his ouster since early February.

Al-Ahmars armed followers fought back and reoccupied several government buildings they had seized in the first round of fighting between the sides last week.

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The fighting has dramatically raised the stakes in Yemens nearly four-month-old political crisis. President Ali Abdullah Saleh has clung to power despite daily protests.

His security forces have waged a brutal crackdown that has included sniper attacks on unarmed protesters,and he has several times pledged to step down under a deal with the opposition only to back out at the last minute. Beyond the capital,violence also roiled the southern city of Taiz,which has been a hotbed of anti-government protests since the early days of the uprising against Saleh.

Soldiers backed by tanks and bulldozers moved in over the weekend. A doctor who witnessed attacks said at least 20 people were killed on Monday.

On Tuesday,the UNs human rights office in Geneva said it received reports from Yemen that over 50 people have been killed by pro-government forces in Taiz since Sunday.