Fight for control rages in Yemen

SANAA, Yemen, May 24 (UPI) -- Yemeni opposition fighters took control of government ministries Tuesday as battles raged in the wake of a collapsed political transition deal, witnesses said.

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh refused to sign a deal brokered by the Gulf Cooperation Council. Fighting to keep his grip on power for much of the year, the deal called for Saleh to step down in exchange for immunity.

Forces loyal to the president traded gunfire with opposition militias Tuesday, witnesses told The New York Times. A person familiar with the political situation in Yemen told the newspaper talks collapsed between the government and Sadeq al-Ahmar, the leader of a tribal confederation.

Opposition forces had taken control of the Ministry of Industry and Trade as gun battles raged in Sanaa, the Times notes.

British Middle East and North African Minister Alistair Burt said Saleh's continued intransigence left him isolated from the international community.

"President Saleh's continued refusal to sign the peace agreement brokered by the Gulf Cooperation Council is a matter of the deepest regret to the United Kingdom. He is now isolated from leaders in his own party and the opposition who have demonstrated their commitment to a peaceful transition of power," he said in a statement. "The GCC initiative represents the best chance to achieve a peaceful settlement to the political crisis."