(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Pro- and anti-regime camps in Yemen have called for mass protests on Friday after state media said embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh would soon return to the country from Saudi Arabia where he is being treated for blast wounds.
Regime supporters have called for a mass gathering under the slogan of "loyalty to Saleh" in Sanaa, the capital.
They celebrated on Thursday news of his planned return, but opponents said they were working to ensure that, even if he does, he will no longer be in power.
US and Yemeni officials have said Saleh, 69, had 40 per cent burns on his body after an attack on his palace last Friday.
A government website dismissed dire assessments of his condition, saying his injuries were minor.
The claim was echoed by Vice-President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, who insisted Saleh was in good condition and that he would return to Yemen within days.
Health condition
Saleh, who has ruled Yemen for three decades, has not been seen since being flown for surgery to Saudi Arabia.
There have been conflicting reports about his health since he was flown to Riyadh on Saturday for treatment for wounds sustained in the attack.
A Saudi official said the Yemeni president's health was "stable", adding that he was waiting for doctors to "appoint a date for cosmetic surgery."
Saleh would undergo an operation to treat "light burns on the scalp," he said, adding "reports on the deterioration of his health condition are baseless."
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