In Yemen, small-scale protests started shortly after the Tunisian Revolution. Protesters were emboldened by the fall of Mubarak and their numbers grew. The president, Ali Abdullah Saleh was able to remain in power for months before signing an agreement in November by which he handed over power, but remained a political player. In Bahrain, protests erupted on 14 February and were met by repression. A month later, the government called in troops from neighboring Persian Gulf countries to put down protests and announced a state of emergency. In Libya, protests started on 17 February in the eastern city of Benghazi. They developed into a civil war that has claimed the lives of tens of thousands. In September, six months after the UN Security Council–sanctioned NATO military intervention, the "de facto" ruler Muammar Gaddafi was toppled and killed.