4 June 2011 Last updated at 12:12 ET
The BBC's Lina Sinjab: "He has shrapnel three inches below the heart"
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh suffered shrapnel wounds and burns in Friday's attack on his compound in Sanaa, sources have told the BBC.
They said Mr Saleh had a piece of shrapnel under his heart and second-degree chest and face burns. This has not been officially confirmed.
Yemeni officials earlier denied reports that Mr Saleh had left the country.
The president aired an audio message late on Friday saying he was well, without appearing in public.
But there remains speculation over his condition.
In the broadcast, Mr Saleh blamed the attack on an "outlaw gang" of his tribal foes - an accusation denied by Sheikh Sadeq al-Ahmar, the head of the Hashid tribal federation, whose fighters have been clashing with security forces.
The BBC's Lina Sinjab: "He has shrapnel three inches below the heart"
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh suffered shrapnel wounds and burns in Friday's attack on his compound in Sanaa, sources have told the BBC.
They said Mr Saleh had a piece of shrapnel under his heart and second-degree chest and face burns. This has not been officially confirmed.
Yemeni officials earlier denied reports that Mr Saleh had left the country.
The president aired an audio message late on Friday saying he was well, without appearing in public.
But there remains speculation over his condition.
In the broadcast, Mr Saleh blamed the attack on an "outlaw gang" of his tribal foes - an accusation denied by Sheikh Sadeq al-Ahmar, the head of the Hashid tribal federation, whose fighters have been clashing with security forces.
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The Ahmar family has been financing the opposition and helping sustain protesters, who have been demanding Mr Saleh's resignation since January despite a crackdown that has left at least 350 people dead.
Western and regional powers have been urging Mr Saleh to sign a Gulf Co-operation Council-brokered deal that would see him hand over power to his deputy in return for an amnesty from prosecution.
He has agreed to sign on several occasions, but then backed out.
More than 160 people have been killed in the fighting that began on 23 May and has brought Yemen to the brink of civil war.
A number of people - including civilians - were injured in the overnight fightingSurgery needed?
Mr Saleh and several senior officials were praying at the al-Nahdayn mosque inside the presidential compound in the south of Sanaa on Friday afternoon when it was hit by at least three rockets, officials said. Seven presidential guards were killed, some apparently as they jumped on Mr Saleh to protect him.
Yemen's Minister of International Co-operation, Hisham Sharaf, told the BBC that the president had received light injuries to his head.
But later reports suggested his injuries might have been more severe.
Sources close to the president have told the BBC that Mr Saleh has a piece of shrapnel almost 7.6cm (3in) long under his heart and that it has punctured one of his lungs.
A decision on whether to carry out surgery had still to be taken, the sources added.
Mr Saleh was taken to a military hospital and not discharged until late on Friday. By Saturday morning, state television was still airing only his audio message, accompanied by an old photograph.
Mr Sharaf also said the speaker of the lower house of parliament, Yahya al-Rai, was seriously wounded, while several other senior officials were also hurt, including Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Mujawar, the speaker of the upper house, Abdul Aziz Abdul Ghani, and Mr Saleh's security adviser.
The Saba news agency said Mr Mujawar, Mr Rai, Mr Abdul Ghani, Deputy Prime Minister Rashad al-Alimi and the security adviser, who was in a serious condition, were later flown to Saudi Arabia for treatment.
Yemen's Ahmar family
President Saleh is in a stable condition - he is just tired after yesterday's attack - End Quote - Hisham SharafYemeni Minister of International Co-operationTribal officials later said that 10 people had been killed and 35 others injured overnight when government troops shelled the Hassaba area, where Sheikh Ahmar's brother Hamid is based. Some reports now say that Sheikh Hamid himself was injured.
The Ahmar family has been financing the opposition and helping sustain protesters, who have been demanding Mr Saleh's resignation since January despite a crackdown that has left at least 350 people dead.
Western and regional powers have been urging Mr Saleh to sign a Gulf Co-operation Council-brokered deal that would see him hand over power to his deputy in return for an amnesty from prosecution.
He has agreed to sign on several occasions, but then backed out.
More than 160 people have been killed in the fighting that began on 23 May and has brought Yemen to the brink of civil war.
A number of people - including civilians - were injured in the overnight fightingSurgery needed?Mr Saleh and several senior officials were praying at the al-Nahdayn mosque inside the presidential compound in the south of Sanaa on Friday afternoon when it was hit by at least three rockets, officials said. Seven presidential guards were killed, some apparently as they jumped on Mr Saleh to protect him.
Yemen's Minister of International Co-operation, Hisham Sharaf, told the BBC that the president had received light injuries to his head.
But later reports suggested his injuries might have been more severe.
Sources close to the president have told the BBC that Mr Saleh has a piece of shrapnel almost 7.6cm (3in) long under his heart and that it has punctured one of his lungs.
A decision on whether to carry out surgery had still to be taken, the sources added.
Mr Saleh was taken to a military hospital and not discharged until late on Friday. By Saturday morning, state television was still airing only his audio message, accompanied by an old photograph.
Mr Sharaf also said the speaker of the lower house of parliament, Yahya al-Rai, was seriously wounded, while several other senior officials were also hurt, including Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Mujawar, the speaker of the upper house, Abdul Aziz Abdul Ghani, and Mr Saleh's security adviser.
The Saba news agency said Mr Mujawar, Mr Rai, Mr Abdul Ghani, Deputy Prime Minister Rashad al-Alimi and the security adviser, who was in a serious condition, were later flown to Saudi Arabia for treatment.
Yemen's Ahmar family
Sheikh Sadeq al-Ahmar is the overall leader of the Hashid tribal confederation, one of the two main tribal groupings in Yemen.
His father Abdullah Bin Hussein al-Ahmar - who died in 2007 - founded the Islamist Islah opposition party
Sheikh Sadeq's brother Hamid al-Ahmar is a prominent businessman and leading member of Islah. He has repeatedly called for Mr Saleh's resignation. Another brother, Sheikh Hussein Bin Abdullah al-Ahmar, resigned from President Saleh's Governing People's Council on 28 February over the shootings of protesters
Unconfirmed reports on Saturday said President Saleh had also gone to Saudi Arabia for treatment, or possibly even for good. But Deputy Information Minister Abduh al-Janadi and sources in the president's office insisted that the reports were untrue.
A source close to the Saudi royal family also denied Mr Saleh was there. He told the Reuters news agency that the Yemeni leader had "no intention of leaving".
Tanks and security checkpoints remain in place across the capital, with a number of roads blocked. Some residents have been out in the streets getting urgent supplies, but the atmosphere remains very tense, our correspondent says.
"Bullets are everywhere, explosions terrified us. There's no chance to stay any more," one man told the Reuters news agency.
After Friday's rocket attack, government forces intensified their assault on the northern Hassaba district, the location of Sheikh Ahmar's compound and several government buildings occupied by the tribesmen.
The United States, the European Union and the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) have all called for an immediate ceasefire.
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