120 wounded in Yemeni uprising

SANAA, Yemen, March 16 (UPI) -- More than 100 people were wounded in the Yemeni port city of al-Hudayah during clashes between opposing groups Wednesday, witnesses said.

Witnesses report pro-government forces attacked demonstrators with tear gas and bullets Wednesday leaving around 120 people injured, al-Jazeera reports.

Pro-reform groups continue to put pressure on Yemeni President Abdullah Ali Saleh despite his promise to reach out to opposition groups. Saleh said he would step aside in 2013, though protesters continue to press for his immediate resignation.

Gerald Feierstein, the U.S. envoy to Yemen, told the official Saba news agency that Washington supported peaceful reforms in Yemen.

"I think that the message is that the U.S. is standing very firmly on the side of the Yemeni people in trying to address these critical challenges," he was quoted as saying. "We support the demands for change."

Feierstein maintained support for Saleh, however, saying Washington believed concessions offered by the Yemeni president "formed a good basis for return to dialogue."

Yemen is a key U.S. ally in the region.

At least 40 people were killed in Yemeni protests inspired by Arab uprisings.