Republican Guards hold checkpoints around capital [Archives:2005/816/Local News]

Hassan Al-Zaidi
The Republican Guard and Special Forces, under the command of the President's son Ahmad Ali Abdullah Saleh, have increased the number of checkpoints at the entrances of the capital, particularly to the northeast of Sana'a.

The Special Forces usually inspect vehicles entering the city but have provoked numerous queries on their recent stringency.

Sources at Special Forces say that the security authorities have received threats of potential attacks by some of al-Houthi's supporters, who are expected to come from Sa'ada through al-Jawf and then into the capital.

The Special Forces seized a truck loaded with a number of explosives inside including a mortar this week, but sources did not mention who was responsible.

The series of negotiations between al-Houthi followers and the Yemeni authorities failed when al-Rizami (al-Houthi's top supporter) returned from the capital at the end of last month without reaching a solution.
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