SANAA, Yemen - Witnesses say Yemeni soldiers opened fire at anti-government protesters in the country's north, killing two people and wounding seven.

They say the shooting occurred as the soldiers tried to disperse thousands who took to the main street in Amran city for a collective Friday prayer.

Protesters threw rocks at the troops and called for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down, shouting: "Leave! Leave!"

The witnesses spoke on condition of anonymity fearing government reprisals.

In the capital, tens of thousands assembled near Sanaa University urging Saleh's ouster. Security forces are watching the gathering closely but there's been no violence so far.

Yemen has been rocked by weeks of daily protests -- inspired by Egyptian and Tunisian uprisings -- against Saleh's government.