ADEN, YEMEN (AP) - The Gulf Cup soccer tournament has opened in Yemen amid heavy security and threats of violence from al-Qaida.
Several rings of checkpoints were set up around the May 22 Stadium in the southern port of Aden, the host city for the eight-nation event. Police on Monday stopped a protest rally called by southern separatists.
A capacity crowd of more than 30,000 was expected for Monday’s two opening games _ Yemen-Saudi Arabia and Kuwait-Qatar.
The event’s opening ceremony featured an artistic display by about 1,500 dancers from Yemen and other Gulf countries reflecting the region’s history and cultural life.
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