[24] In a "Friday of Anger" on 18 February, tens of thousands of Yemenis took part in anti-government demonstrations in Taiz, Sana'a and Aden.

On 18 March, protesters in Sana'a were fired upon resulting in over forty deaths and ultimately culminating in mass defections and resignations.

[citation needed] On 23 April, Saleh accepted a proposal to step down and shift control to his deputy after thirty days.

The agreement included immunity for him and his family and required the opposition to stop public protests and join a coalition with Saleh's ruling party.

[27] On 22 May, after Saleh had agreed to the deal only to back away hours before the scheduled signing for the third time, the Gulf Cooperation Council declared it was suspending its efforts to mediate in Yemen.

[6][8][10][29][30] The militiamen had surrounded and blocked off several government buildings in the capital[31] and people on the ground were reporting that the situation looked like deteriorating into a civil war.

[32] During the second day of fighting, loyalist forces heavily shelled with mortars al-Ahmar's compound in which a number of his fighters were killed or wounded.

[33] On day three of the fighting, military units that defected to the opposition were hit for the first time by mortar fire, killing three soldiers and wounding 10.

[37] During the night, the fighting spread to the Arhad district, about 20 miles (32 km), northwest of Sana'a, where a brigade of Saleh's presidential guard clashed with local tribesmen.

[30][38] On 27 May, tribesmen surrounded the camp of the Republican Guard in the al-Fardha Nehem area, 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Sana'a in an attempt to prevent them from joining the fighting in the capital.

The worst of the fighting was in the northern Hassaba neighborhood, where tribal fighters seized a number of government ministries and buildings.

The government units, led by one of Saleh's sons, and loyalist special forces attacked but failed to recapture the Hassaba administrative building.

They were stopped at a military checkpoint 9.3 miles (15.0 km) north of the capital, but, as the day developed, they continued to make attempts to break through government lines into Sana'a.

[52] On 3 June, an attack on the presidential palace left Saleh lightly injured and seven other top government officials wounded.

[55] Eyewitnesses, residents and government officials say Hashed tribesmen carried out the attack against the presidential palace, but the spokesman for Sadeq Al-Ahmar denied it.

His absence also increased the possibility of an even more violent power struggle between the armed tribesmen who had joined the opposition and loyalist military forces under the command of Saleh's sons and nephews.

Sources told Al Jazeera that vice-president Abd al-Rab Mansur al-Hadi had taken over as acting president and supreme commander of the armed forces.

[60] Despite the cease-fire there were reports on the morning of 5 June of heavy gunfire and explosions in Sana'a centred on Hasaba district, a focal point of fighting in recent weeks.

On the same day al-Arabiya television said that acting president Abd-Rabbu Mansour al-Hadi was due to meet members of the military and Saleh's sons.

[61] A cease-fire in Yemen's capital was at risk of unraveling on 6 June, as regime supporters opened fire on opposition fighters in renewed clashes that killed at least six.

[64] On 19 September, protesters, along with members of the renegade 1st Armored Division, attacked one of the smaller bases of the Republican Guards, located on the west side of the major al-Zubairy road.

[66] On the night of 25 September, opposition tribesmen attacked the base camp of the 63rd Brigade in the Nehm district, 43.5 miles (70.0 km) north of Sana'a.

[73] On 30 October, during the evening, the Air Force base in the capital was hit by mortar shells and two fighter jets were set on fire.