Families in Yemen's southern province of Dhale are fleeing the city to other safe places as security remains tight and raids on homes and arrests in connection with the search for outlaws and separatists continue.

Many families have left their homes after they came under attack since last Saturday when security forces imposed a security cordon around many districts in the province and started to bomb homes and arrest innocents.

Though a tense clam is now prevailing in Dhaleh at day, sporadic clashes between armed gangs, believed to belong to the secessionist movement, and security forces remain at night.

Authorities said that all measures taken in the province were precautionary to thwart the schemes of separatists and protect the people from outlaws and destructive elements.

In recent weeks, Dhale has seen many developments including declaring a state of emergency in some of its parts almost a week ago and tightening security to thwart unauthorized demonstrations that continue to sweep violence-hit south Yemen.

The people and elders in the city organized on Tuesday a peaceful sit-in to condemn the worsening situation amid large numbers of security forces disturbing the normal life but police broke up it. The developments come as state media say that a committee has been formed on Dhale headed by Deputy Prime Minister for Defense and Security Affairs and Minister of Local Administration Rashad Al-Alimi. The committee is due to start its job in the coming days.

Dhale is one of the southern cities worst hit by violence in recent years where many incident took place including ambushing police and officials as well as attacking the people and burning their properties.

More recently, the Ministry of Communication ordered cell phone companies in the country to cut their services in Dhale and Lahj as campaigns to arrest fugitives and criminals continued in both cities.