At least three protesters were killed and more than 50 others wounded on Monday when police forces opened fire to break up a massive rally in Yemen's southern province of Taiz, witnesses said.

Police used live rounds and tear gas to break up a protest rally in downtown Taiz, some 200 km south of the capital Sanaa, in which hundreds of teachers complained that the government had suspended their salaries, while thousands of students demanding postponement of the exams due to the continuing unrest in Taiz, said the eyewitnesses.

Officials of the education ministry were not available to comment.

The clashes between local students and police are in the third consecutive day.

On Sunday, two protesters were killed and five others wounded when the teachers and students clashed with police in Taiz.

On Saturday, one student was shot dead when police forces in the Al-Maafir district in Taiz attempted to break up a student demonstration calling for the postponement of exams.

Yemen's security situation has been aggravated by the ongoing street protests that rocked major provinces of the impoverished country to repeat demand of an immediate end to the 33-year rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.