Yemeni Rebels Attack Palace in Sanaa

Updated at 1:30 p.m. edt

Yemeni President Ali Abdulah Saleh was supposed to deliver an address assuring his people he was fine after a rebel attack today on his palace in Sanaa, but a government official tells MSNBC he is being treated for a wound to the neck.

At least four people, including top officials and body guards, were killed and others were severely wounded, NBC's chief foreign Correspondent Richard Engel reports at this hour.

The White House was monitoring the situation, but had no immediate information to shed light on Saleh's condition. A spokesman for President Obama urged Saleh to accept a deal in which he would step down.

"I can tell you that we’ve seen those conflicting reports about what happened there.  The President was briefed on this issue this morning," said White House spokesman Josh Ernest.

"I don’t have anything beyond what we’ve said before, which is that obviously condemn the violence on both sides, that we hope that there will be and that there should be a negotiated settlement in Yemen, and that we believe that President Saleh should sign the agreement transferring power," Earnest added.

Former State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley suggested on Twitter that Saleh has brought on his own demise. "President Saleh has chosen to literally fight reform rather than respect it. It's a losing battle for Saleh, and tragic for Yemen," Crowley Tweeted.

End update
---[

There are reports Yemeni President Ali Abdulah Saleh was hurt today when his palace in Sanaa was shelled by rebels.

Others were also hurt in the attack, the BBC reports.

There are conflicting reports at this time about Saleh's condition.

Saleh has been an ally on the fight against Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, allowing U.S. drones to target suspected terrorists.