SANAA, Yemen -- Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh was wounded when rebellious tribesmen attacked his palace with rockets on Friday, targeting him for the first time in a dramatic escalation of fighting that has pushed the country toward civil war.

One rocket smashed into a mosque on the palace grounds where the president was praying along with his top leaders.

Among the nine wounded were the prime minister, Mr. Saleh's powerful top security adviser, and the two heads of parliament, as well as the cleric leading prayers. Seven guards were killed.

Officials said Mr. Saleh had only slight injuries -- Deputy Information Minister Abdu al-Janadi spoke only of "scratches to his face."

But there were indications the injuries may have been more severe.

Mr. Saleh, in his late 60s, was taken to a Defense Ministry hospital, while officials promised repeatedly he soon would appear in public.

By late Friday night, however, state TV had aired only an audio message from the president, with an old still photo.

"If you are well, I am well," Mr. Saleh said in the message, addressing Yemenis. He spoke in a labored voice, his breathing at times heavily. He blamed the rocket attack on "this armed gang of outlaws," referring to the tribal fighters, and called on "all sons of the military around the country to confront" them.

The assault directly on the president is likely to heighten the brutal fight between Mr. Saleh's forces and the heavily armed tribesmen loyal to Sheik Sadeq al-Ahmar.

Since violence erupted May 23, Sanaa residents have hidden in basements as the two sides have fought to control government ministries and duked it out with artillery and gun battles.

Nearly four months of protests and international diplomacy have failed to oust Yemen's leader of 33 years.

The White House called on all sides to stop the fighting, which has killed more than 160 people.

"Violence cannot resolve the issues that confront Yemen, and today's events cannot be a justification for a new round of fighting," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said.

President Obama's homeland security and counterterrorism adviser, John Brennan, discussed the crisis in Yemen with officials in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates during a three-day visit to the Persian Gulf that ended Friday, vowing to work with Yemen's powerful neighbors to stop the violence.

Washington fears the chaos will undermine Yemen's U.S.-backed campaign against al-Qaeda's branch in the country, which has attempted a number of attacks against the United States.

Mr. Saleh has been a vital U.S. ally in the anti-terror fight, but Washington is trying to negotiate an exit for him.

Inspired by uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, protesters have tried since February to oust Mr. Saleh with peaceful protests that have brought out hundreds of thousands.

Now the crisis has transformed into a power struggle between two of Yemen's most powerful families -- Mr. Saleh's, which dominates the security forces, and the al-Ahmar clan, which leads Yemen's strongest tribal confederation, known as the Hashid.

First Published June 4, 2011, 5:52 a.m.