Yemen troops encircle ex-president mosque amid coup fears
Saleh had ruled Yemen for 33 years before he was forced to resign in February 2012. He was replaced by his longtime deputy President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi under a UN and Gulf-sponsored deal.
Presidential guard troops backed by armoured vehicles blocked access to the large al-Saleh mosque in Sanaa's southern district, an AFP correspondent reported.
The source close to the presidency told AFP that weapons had been stored in the mosque and were being guarded by gunmen loyal to the former president.
A tunnel connecting the site to the presidential palace had been discovered.
Hadi suspects his predecessor is "plotting a coup", the source said, without elaborating further.
The surrounding of the mosque late on Saturday came days after the authorities shut down a newspaper and television channel owned by Saleh.
The media outlets, both named Yemen Today, have often been singled out for their coverage, seen as biased against the government formed after Saleh's departure.
They have also been accused of inciting protests in Sanaa against power cuts and water and fuel shortages.
Although weakened, Saleh still heads the influential General People's Congress (GPC) political party and retains the loyalty of some elements in the military.
Critics accuse him of impeding the country's political transition.
In February 2013, the United Nations reiterated a threat of sanctions against anyone who interferes in the delicate transition process, naming Saleh explicitly.
Al-Qaeda clashes continue
Yemen has long been trying to fight off an Al-Qaeda insurgency, which frequently errupts into violence. On Sunday, eight Yemeni soldiers were killed and nine others wounded in an attack believed to have been carried out by al-Qaeda on an army personnel carrier in the southern province of Aden, a provincial official said.
The official, who asked not to be named, told Anadolu Agency that the attack took place in Aden's Sheikh Uthman District.
He said militants had opened fire on the soldiers from their vehicle before fleeing the scene.
Al-Qaeda has so far not claimed responsibility for the attack yet, with the Yemeni government also staying tight lipped on the reported affair.
The US is helping Yemeni forces confront the militants who hold sway in the mountainous regions in southern Yemen and has been embroiled on a long-time drone offensive against al-Qaeda groups in the country.
On Saturday, five alleged al-Qaeda militants, including a leading figure, were reportedly killed in a suspected US strike in the southern province of Shabwah, a security source told Anadolu.
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