SANAA - Death toll of protesters from the clashes in Yemen's southern province of Taiz on Monday rose to at least 16, while dozens others were injured by live bullets and tear gas, according to witness and Police Colonel Abdullah al-Atiky.

Earlier, the head of the makeshift hospital of the Liberation Square in Taiz, some 200 km south of the capital Sanaa, said that the doctors received 10 protesters died from gunshots in head and chest from police snipers, and dozens others were seriously injured by live bullets.

He added that the police snipers intercepted the march of thousands of young protesters demanding an immediate end to the 33- year rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh in downtown Taiz.

A provincial police official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that only two protesters were killed when they along with other tens of protesters attempted to storm the provincial building of the governor of Taiz, during which the police confronted them by force in a bid to end such riots.

Witness Abdul-Qawi al-Ezzani said the rally was marched peacefully from Taiz University to the provincial building of the governor to protest Sunday's police repression against the protesters that left one protesters dead and at least 900 others injured by live rounds and tear gas.

"The protesters did not attempt to break into the governor's office, but gathered around his office, chanting 'People want the regime to fall'," al-Ezzani told Xinhua by phone.

Police Colonel al-Atiky said live bullets were fired at protesters by police snipers from rooftops of the governor's office and nearby Al-Shaab school.

Elsewhere in western province of Al-Hodayda, the police and government backers used live ammunition and tear gas to break up a march of thousands of anti-government protesters, injuring at least 300 protesters, some of them in critical condition, according to eyewitnesses.

Protests reportedly took place on Monday in the capital Sanaa and provinces of Ibb, Aden, Al-Bayda and Hadramout.

Yemeni protesters have staged daily demonstrations across major provinces since mid February to demand crucial economic and political reforms, including immediate ouster of President Saleh.