Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has dismissed the government of his Prime Minister Ali Mujawar.

The move comes after the country reacted with fury to the killing of 45 anti-government protesters in Saana on March 17 by unidentified gunmen (MEED 20:3:11).

Thousands of mourners attended the funerals of the protesters and gathered in a square in central Sanaa close to the university.

Yemen’s national news agency said that the government will remain in place until replacements can be found.

The BBC also reported that a number of high-ranking Yemeni officials have already resigned over the shootings including Yemen’s ambassador to the UN, the ministers for human rights and tourism, the head of the state news agency, and the Yemeni ambassador to Lebanon.