Fierce fighting in Yemeni capital kills 120

SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Shiite rebels and Sunni militiamen battled in Sanaa for a second day Friday in battles that have killed at least 120 people and have shaken the Yemeni capital with thousands fleeing their homes. The violence raises fears that this chronically unstable country could be dragged into the sort of sectarian conflicts that have plagued other nations in the region.

Yemen has had years of turmoil and division, particularly a longtime battle with perhaps the most dangerous branch of the al-Qaida terror network, separatist uprisings in the south and political upheaval that overthrew a longtime autocrat, all on top of deep poverty and tribal tensions.