40 percent of Saleh’s body burnt

Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh has suffered much more serious injuries than first reported in a rocket attack on his palace, a US official says.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said on Tuesday that Saleh has burns covering over roughly 40 percent of his body, Reuters reported.

He also suffered extensive shrapnel injuries from wood splintered by the rocket attack on his palace, the official added.

“His face was quite charred,” said the official. “The burns are serious; he is not as well as his aides are portraying it.”

The Yemeni leader is currently receiving medical treatment in Saudi Arabia. His vice president said on Monday Saleh would return to Yemen within days.

However, the severity of Saleh’s injuries suggested that he would not be returning to Yemen anytime soon.

Anti-government protesters, who have turned out for rallies in the major cities since late January, called for a swift transfer of power in Saleh’s absence.

Protesters in Yemen have staged rallies across the country, demanding Saleh to step down after over three decades of rule.