About 3,000 Yemeni protesters from several northern provinces marched towards the capital Sanaa on Saturday to call for trial of outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh for ordering crackdown on anti-government protests over the past months, witnesses said.

The march, organized by the Houthi-led Shiite rebel group based in northern restive province of Saada which has fought Saleh's government over the past six years, started first from northwest province of Al-Hodayda on Wednesday to cross almost 250 km to Sanaa.

The marchers, mostly belonging to Shiite rebels, have passed through northern provinces of Hajja and Amran, where hundreds of people joined them in the march dubbed "March for Dignity."

Witnesses said the march approached Dharawan region on Saturday evening, about 30 km north of Sanaa, and was expected to reach the capital on Sunday amid fears of violence after deadly clashes two weeks ago broke out between troops loyal to Saleh and a march arrived from southern provinces, leaving at least 13 protesters dead and 200 others injured.

"The marchers hold banners against a Gulf-brokered deal that granted Saleh immunity from prosecution in return for transferring power, and they also chanted slogans against the newly-formed opposition-led coalition government," one of the witnesses told Xinhua.

In Sanaa, the organizing committee of the "Popular Youth Revolution" based in the epicenter Change Square issued a statement on Saturday evening, saying that it would receive and host the Houthi-led march, on condition that they do not chant slogans to smear or accuse the opposition coalition Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) of treason.

The rift between the anti-government groups was aggravated after 20 of the rebel supporters were wounded ten days ago in scuffles with members of the opposition coalition in the Change Square in Sanaa over dispute regarding the JMP's positive stance on the power-transfer deal brokered by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

The impoverished Arab country has been in the grip of months- long political crisis triggered by protests demanding to oust Saleh. About 2,000 people have been killed and thousands of others injured since the protests began in late January, 2011.

Saleh and the opposition signed the GCC initiative in Saudi Arabia on Nov. 23.

Under the deal, a new opposition-led coalition government was formed earlier last month and early presidential elections are set to be held on Feb. 21, 2012, while the long-time leader retains the title of honorary president for 90 days before his resignation and enjoys immunity from prosecution afterwards.