Sana'a, March 20 (IANS) Additional troops were deployed in the Yemeni capital and other major cities Saturday to effectively enforce a state of emergency after more than 50 people have died in anti-government protests in the country.Security has been been beefed up across the country Saturday to enforce a 30-day state of emergency declared by President Ali Abdullah Saleh, an official of the interior ministry told Xinhua requesting anonymity.

Ali al-Fakih, one of the organizers of Sana'a anti-government protests, told Xinhua that the toll in Friday's attacks on protesters rose to 51. He added that hundreds of people were injured, some critically. Several protesters were also wounded in police gunshots, he said.

Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets Saturday in the southern provinces of Ibb, Taiz, Aden, Hodayda and Hadramout to condemn what they described "bloodbath by the security authorities against Sanaa's peaceful protesters" and show support to the families of victims.