Southern separatists gained ground across Yemen's second city Aden on Saturday and surrounded the presidential palace as they fought fierce battles with loyalist forces, military and security sources said.
Deadly fighting raging in Aden since Wednesday is pitting unionist forces loyal to the internationally recognised government against a force that supports it but is dominated by fighters seeking renewed independence for the south.
The force, known as the Security Belt, overran three military barracks belonging to unionist forces and were surrounding the presidential palace, sources close to the Security Belt said.
Fierce clashes were also taking place in several other parts of the city.
An AFP correspondent reported seeing separatist fighters surrounding a tank which they claimed they had seized from a military position.
Southern Yemen was an independent state until 1990 and the north is widely perceived to have imposed unification by force.
The Security Belt is a force trained by ..
