Yemeni Prisoners Join Call For President's Ouster

A Yemeni security official says about 2,000 inmates have staged a revolt at a prison in the capital, taking a dozen guards hostage and joining calls by anti-government protesters for the country's president to step down.

The official says the unrest in the Sanaa prison erupted late Monday when prisoners set their mattresses ablaze and occupied the facility's courtyard.

He says the guards fired tear gas and gunshots into the air but couldn't subdue the prisoners.

The official said Tuesday that troops have beefed up security outside the prison. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he isn't authorized to talk to the media. He says a number of inmates were hurt in the unrest.

Yemen has been rocked by weeks of protests against President Ali Abdullah Saleh.