Report: Yemen army kills 4 protesters

SANAA, Yemen, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- Government soldiers opened fire on reformist protesters in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, killing at least four of them, medical officials said.

Hospital worker Mohammed Al-Qubati told CNN apart from the dead, he counted 37 others wounded by gunfire Sunday.

The government of President Ali Abdullah Saleh didn't issue a statement directly addressing the military response to the protests, although spokesman Tareq Shami said: "The ruling party is serious on finding a solution to the political crisis."

Saturday, 10 people were killed and some 40 others were wounded in demonstrations in Sanaa.

Political unrest in the small Arabic country began in January along with similar uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya in what has become known as the "Arab Spring" movement toward democracy.

The U.S. State Department issued a statement renewing the call for Saleh to step down in light of the weekend's bloodshed.

"We are deeply concerned by recent violence in Yemen," the release said. "We are monitoring the situation and continue to seek more information on the actions that led to this tragedy."