Warring forces withdrawing from Yemeni city say witnesses

Yemeni government forces and opposition fighters began withdrawing from the southern city of Taiz on Monday after four days of shelling and clashes that killed nearly 20 people, witnesses said.

This follows the establishment, under a deal designed to end months of anti-government protests, of a military committee of representatives of outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh's General People's Congress party and an opposition alliance.

"Since the morning, we have seen tanks and armoured vehicles being pulled away from positions in the eastern part of Taiz," said Tawfiq al-Shaabi, an activist in a protest encampment in central Taiz. "We also noticed that (opposition) fighters have gone from the streets," he added.