Sana'a, Yemen - A vendor shot and killed three people and seriously injured five others in a shooting spree at a marketplace in the southern Yemeni port city of Aden on Monday, police said.

Police officials said the man became enraged amid a dispute with representatives of the city's municipality over locations of street vendors at the market in Sheikh Othman neighbourhood of Aden.

He began shooting at municipal officers and other vendors. Police forces arrested the assailant at the scene, according to the officials.

Deadly shootings are common in this impoverished Arab country, where men carry firearms openly in rural areas and tribes often settle disputes with weapons.

Last month, authorities embarked on a campaign to close weapons markets across the country in an attempt to curb the spread of unlicensed weapons. The Interior Ministry said last week more than 240 arms shops were closed in the continued crackdown. (dpa)