Almotamar.net - The Yemeni interior ministry announced Thursday it has begun carrying out the decision of collecting medium and heavy weapons and closing down the shops of selling them existing in some markets of Yemen. It indicated it has put six months as a period of time for implementing the plan of collecting weapons.

The Yemen's interior minister Dr Rashad al-Alimi has affirmed that his ministry began carrying out the decision which he described as historic and promised journalists to acquaint them with details of on quantity and types of weapons that have been withdrawn or bought through arranging a visit whose date he fixed next Saturday.

The Yemeni government had last month taken a decision on collecting and withdrawing medium and heavy weapons in possession of citizens and closing down shops for selling those weapons. The decision came in less than two weeks of a decision taken by the National Defence Council in Yemen which is chaired by President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The procedure of withdrawing and buying weapons has cost the state budget billions of Yemeni riyals, according to confirmations of the interior minister who revealed of Saudi and Gulf promises to support Yemen in implementing the plan concerning collecting weapons.

During his talk to journalists today the minister demonstrated shots depicting types of weapons that have been collected or bought, affirming that committees will make field visits to be sure about closing down shops of selling weapons and promised to confiscate weapons from those who violate the decision.