SANAA, Yemen — In what appears to be an assassination attempt, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh was wounded Friday when opposition forces shelled his presidential compound. Several other key government figures, including Prime Minister Ali Mujawar, were also injured, according to local reports.

The shelling began as the president attended Friday prayers at a mosque inside his compound, forcing him and other officials to run for cover. It was as yet unclear the extent of the president’s injuries.

State television originally said the president would give a televised address Friday evening but later reported that he would only release a written statement, raising speculation about the extent of his injuries.

Suhail, an opposition television station, initially reported that Saleh had been killed in the attack. However, Yemeni government officials have denied this.

“President Saleh was not killed in this horrendous attack on his compound,” said one Yemeni government official. He didn’t comment on the condition of other prominent government figures that were with him when the attack took place.

Shortly before the attack on the president, fierce fighting had broken out between government troops and rebel tribesmen in Sanaa’s wealthy Hadda neighborhood. Hundreds of people have been killed since violence erupted last week in the Yemeni capital.

Government forces fired rocket-propelled grenades across a major road at the homes of Sheikh Hamid al-Ahmar, a well-known rebel tribal leader and powerful businessman, and Maj. Gen. Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, a top general who defected in March and who has ever since assigned his troops to protect protesters.

As the fighting raged, local residents dove for cover and fled the crossfire in SUVs. Some of the locals, who were already armed as a precautionary measure, began firing their AK-47s out of desperation.

“They are attacking Hamid’s house,” screamed one resident as he fled across the road, nearly being struck by an SUV that was speeding away from the violence.

An hour later, at about 1:30 p.m. local time, several large explosions were heard in the direction of the presidential palace.

The attack was blamed on the Hashid confederation, a tribal force loyal to the al-Ahmar family that has been engaged in the fierce gang-style street battles that have rocked the capital over the last week.

But Sadeq Al-Ahmar, the tribal leader of the Hashid confederation, denied responsibility for the attack. He claimed that Saleh ordered the shelling himself to justify an escalation in the fighting, which has derailed a months-long peaceful protest movement and is threatening to drag Yemen into a protracted civil war.

The attack appeared to be well-planned and coordinated, hitting Saleh at his most vulnerable and hitting targets with incredible accuracy.

Yemen’s state television showed images of damaged government buildings as its anchors decried what they said was a coup against a constitutionally legitimate government.

All roads leading in and out of the Hadda district were closed and the usually busy part of town, normally abuzz with car horns and well-dressed youngsters, fell deadly silent.

Residents have all closed the ubiquitous steel doors in front of storefronts and homes to protect themselves and their properties from the fighting.

One shop owner, who frantically rushed to close down his pharmacy, was telling cars to turn back, warning of further attacks in the area.

“Get out before they start shelling,” he screamed as he ran to flag down one of the few remaining taxis fleeing the area.

Shelling did resume after the initial attack as more than 10 mortars came down around the area of Hamid al-Ahmar’s heavily fortified home. Sporadic AK-47 and RPG fire also continued in the Hadda district hours after the attack on the presidential compound.