SANA’A, July 18 — Tribal confrontations sparked yesterday morning in front of the Saudi Arabian embassy in Sana’a. The altercation lasted approximately two hours.

A source at the Ministry of Defense who is not authorized to speak with the press said the reason for the clashes was due to a territorial fight between two tribes from Hashid; both of them claimed possession of the land.

The land happened to be next to the Saudi Arabian embassy, which has been closed for some time after the kidnapping of a Saudi consul earlier this year.

The source said that three days ago, a separate rift took place between the two tribes, but no exchange of fire was reported during that meeting.

The confrontation created a state of intimidation among the civilians and by-standers, while armed men roamed the street and boarded their Toyota Hilux vehicle.

Security forces were heavily spread in the area during and following the clash.

The Defense Ministry source said Interior Deputy Minister Addurahman Hanash interfered to resolve the problem; no more information was provided.

The confrontations come at a time of heavy insecurity in the capital city. Numerous checkpoints and increased security details throughout the city are the result of recent acts of violence and threats of violence. Sana’a’s streets are not free from armed persons, though the government is working to tackle heightened instability.