SANA'A, Oct. 01 (Saba) - A high-rank official in the Political Security Agency (PSA) has survived from an assassination attempt in Abyan governorate, an official source in the Interior Ministry said on Thursday.

The source said that separatists said to be belonging to Tariq al-Fadhli, one of the Southern Movement leaders, have fired the first official of the PSA in Aden, Abyan and Lahj governorates Nasir Mansour Hadi, a brother of Vice-President Abdu Rabo Mansour Hadi, in Zinjubar city of Abyan governorate.

The attack resulted in injuring two of Hadi's escorts, one of them seriously.

The source affirmed that two people were arrested in connection with the assassination attempt.

Violent anti-government protests have engulfed cities in Yemen's southern provinces in recent months, leaving dozens of casualties among protesters and security forces.

North and South Yemen were united in 1990. In 1994, southern leaders announced the secession of the south and battled northern forces for 10 weeks in a civil war that ended in their defeat.

AF/AF