Yemen’s wealthy Gulf neighbours yesterday demanded an immediate halt to bloody clashes between regime supporters and clansmen of a dissident tribal chief that left 12 dead.

“The fighting in Sanaa during the last two days is a source of concern for the GCC who fear that it may spread,” said Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary General Abdullatif al-Zayani. Mr Zayani, who has been promoting a plan which he brokered that would see President Abdullah Saleh leave office within 30 days, urged the rival camps to show restraint.

Two days of clashes in the capital between backers of tribal chief Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar and security forces have already killed at least 12 people, tribal sources said.

Hours after their comments a missile slammed into Sheikh al-Ahmar’s Sanaa home causing casualties, another tribal source said.

“The home of Sheikh Sadiq al-Ahmar was hit by a missile and there were several dead or wounded,” the source said.