Thousands of protesters gathered in cities across Yemen on Friday to demand a complete restructuring of the military dpa reproted.
The protesters were calling for the sacking of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh's relatives, who were appointed to senior military positions during his 34-year rule.
Restructuring the country's security and military institutions and purging them of Saleh's relatives is one of the main challenges facing President Abd Rabu Mansour Hadi.
"It is our duty to stop these people from leading our army because they will impede the peaceful uprising, in which many sacrificed their souls for the sake of a progressive and stable Yemen," said Sami Mahfoudh, 30, from Sana'a.
Hadi in April dismissed several top officers linked to Saleh as he seeks to gain full control of the divided military.
The armed forces are battling al-Qaeda-linked militants in the south and a rebellious Shiite movement in the north. But a year of political discord has divided the military, with different commanders supporting either Saleh or the opposition.
The restructuring of the army is among the conditions set in a Gulf-brokered deal signed in November, under which Saleh stepped down.