At least two people were killed in Yemen when clashes erupted between security and anti-government protests in several southern provinces, residents and witnesses said, dpa reported.
One protester died in Ibb and the other in al-Baida province, while dozens more were injured when plainclothes security men used force as they tried to disperse protesters.
In Taiz province, dozens suffered from inhaling tear gas and five were injured by bullets allegedly fired by security in plainclothes.
Anti-government protests continue in Yemen after President Ali Abdullah Saleh said Sunday he will not hand over power until elections have determined his successor.
That statement came a day after he welcomed an exit arrangement proposed by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which called for the formation of an opposition-led national unity government, followed by a transfer of Saleh's powers to his deputy within 30 days.
Calling the months-long opposition movement in Yemen a "coup," Saleh said: "Who shall I hand (power) over to - those who are trying to make a coup?"
"No, we will do it through ballot boxes and referendums. We'll invite international observers to monitor," he told the BBC in an interview.
Saleh and his government had on Saturday approved the Gulf- brokered deal to settle the political stalemate amid the ongoing anti-regime protests.
Yemen's main opposition bloc also accepted the plan "with reservations."
"The deal sounds okay for us, but President Saleh should first resign and then we can go for forming a unity government with the new president," said Mohammed Qahtan, spokesperson for the opposition Joint Meeting Parties (JMP).
Saleh, who has ruled the country for 32 years, is seen to be rapidly losing control of the country as the unrest continues unabated despite a government crackdown that has left more than 100 people dead.