The Yemeni servicemen who joined the opposition called on the UN Security Council to interfere to save the pro-democracy movement in the country as the government continued to use force to crack down on protesters, local media reported on Sunday.
"We are calling on the UN Security Council and leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member countries to take action and put an end to Saleh's crimes against our people," the opposition Suhail satellite TV channel quoted Askar Zeel, an official spokesman for the defected army, as saying in a statement.
The statement came just hours after the government forces fired at a march of tens of thousands of protesters calling for the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, leaving at least 12 protesters dead and up to 90 others injured, Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.
About 7,000 servicemen from Yemen's Republican Guard and elite security forces joined the opposition, Al Arabiya TV channel reported earlier on Sunday, citing a rebel general.
General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, who joined the Yemeni opposition in March to oust Saleh, said the defected troops will under his command protect civilian protesters from government forces.
The rebel general was speaking with leaders of the Anes tribe, who also joined the opposition recently.
Saleh said last week he was going to resign "in the coming days," but will never hand over power to the opposition.
Mass anti-government rallies have been going on since February in Yemen. Demonstrators have demanded reforms and the resignation Saleh, who has led the country for more than 30 years. Washington has urged the Yemeni president to yield to the opposition's demands.
Negotiations between the government and the opposition on a plan presented by the Gulf Cooperation Council broke down in the middle of September.
