Another Middle East War Breaks Out: Saudis Begin Bombing Yemen

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Photos and video appeared shortly after reports from a Houthi commander to Sputnik Arabic about the killing of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Monday.

Unverified Graphic Footage Allegedly Shows Corpse of Yemen's Ex-President Saleh
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201712041059677266-saleh-dead-video-corpse/

An extremely graphic video allegedly showing the corpse of Ali Abdullah Saleh has surfaced on social media.

The video shows a man's body resembling Saleh. However the authenticity of the footage and the identity of the man are yet to be confirmed by the authorities.

Earlier in the day, the Houthis blew up the house of the former President in Sanaa.

The attack took place following a six-day fight in Yemen's capital between the Houthi rebels and the forces supporting ex-President Saleh.

While delivering a speech on Saturday, Saleh announced that he was ready to turn a "new page" in relations with the Saudi-led coalition:

"I call upon the brothers in neighboring states and the alliance to stop their aggression, lift the siege, open the airports and allow food aid and the saving of the wounded and we will turn a new page by virtue of our neighborliness," said in a televised address as quoted by RT.

Saleh's statement was dubbed "deception" by the Houthis, who were in alliance with the former President.

Ali Abdullah Saleh was sworn in as Yemen's President in 1990 following the merger of North and South Yemen. In wake of the "Arab Spring" Saleh was ousted, and succeded by Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. Throughout the Yemeni Civil War he had allied with the Houthi rebels, who had been fighting against the Saudi-backed forces of Hadi ousted in 2015.

The Yemen Civil War began in 2015 between the Shiite Houthi rebels and the forces loyal to the government of Hadi. Later the Saudi-led coalition launched a military campaign against the Houthis in order to bring Hadi back to power, and had been carrying out massive indiscriminate airstrikes in Yemen since then. The coalition has repeatedly been accused of committing war crimes.

A source in the Yemeni Army has confirmed with Sputnik the former president’s death. Earlier in the day, a graphic video was posted on the internet presumably showing the body of Saleh.

What Were the Last Words of Yemen's Murdered Ex-President Saleh?
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201712041059682449-yemen-saleh-last-words/

"Zero hour is coming to the battlefield in Sanaa," former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh said Sunday in his last public statement, quoted on Monday by the Al Arabiya broadcaster. "The country has to be saved from the madness of the Houthi group."

On Sunday, Saleh also refused to cooperate with the Houthi rebels, the group officially known as Ansar Allah.

Earlier on Monday, the Houthis blew up the house of the former president in Sanaa.

Later in the day, extremely graphic footage emerged on social media, presumably showing the corpse of Saleh. The video shows a man's body resembling Saleh. However, the authorities are yet to confirm the authenticity of the video and the identity of the person depicted.

Speaking with Sputnik Arabic, a senior Yemeni Army official, Maj. Gen. Yahya al Mahdi, had confirmed the death of the former president. The Yemeni Army is an ally of Ansar Allah. According to al Mahdi, Saleh was killed several hours ago on the Sinhan-Maareb highway amid his secret movements through the country.

Meanwhile, sources in the General People’s Congress, a party chaired by Saleh, have denied the information about Saleh’s death and accused the Houthis of spreading misinformation.

The Houthis reportedly seized studios of the Yemen Today broadcaster, owned by ex-Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh, trapping some 40 employees inside.

Sputnik Freelance Reporter in Yemen Missing After Houthis' Takeover of TV Center
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201712041059684845-sputnik-freelance-correspondent-missing-yemen/

A freelance Sputnik correspondent has been missing for 24-hours after the Houthis had seized a TV station in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, with the reporter last getting in touch at some 11:30 GMT on Sunday.

The takeover occurred amid the clashes between the former allies — the Houthis and supporters of former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh that had been underway since Thursday after Saleh's General People's Congress (GPC) party said that the rebels attempted to carry out a coup and promised safety to Houthi commanders if they remained neutral.

Two days after the clashes erupted, Saleh announced that he was ready to turn "a new page" in relations with the Saudi-led coalition, which had been fighting the Houthi movement since 2015 at the request of President Hadi, in a move called "deceitful" by the Shiite movement.

The six-days clashes have resulted in the Houthis' gaining full control over the city, announcing the "end of crisis" after the shocking killing of the rebels' former ally, ex-President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

 

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The Yemeni Interior Ministry, controlled by the Houthis rebels, has confirmed Saleh’s death, Al Jazeera reports

Former president of Yemen killed while trying to leave country — reports
http://tass.com/world/978914

Former President of Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh has been killed while trying to leave the country’s capital on Monday, the Al Mayadeen TV channel reported, citing sources in the Ansar Allah rebel movement in Sana’a.

The Yemeni Interior Ministry, controlled by the Houthis rebels, has confirmed Saleh’s death, Al Jazeera said.

At the same time, Yemen’s Aden al-Ghad news outlet has published photos of the allegedly killed former president. The photos show a man, who looks very much like Saleh, with a fatal wound to the head. According to the news outlet, he could have been killed after surrendering to the Houthis.

Yemen’s General People's Congress party has also confirmed Saleh’s death, the Al Arabiya TV channel said on Twitter, adding that he had been killed during violent clashes in Sana’a.

The Ansar Allah movement claims to have regained control of the Yemeni capital after an attack carried out by Saleh’s supporters.

Death of former Yemeni president confirmed, his son reportedly captured by rebels
http://tass.com/world/978931

Yemen’s General People’s Congress (GPC) party, founded by the country’s former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, has confirmed the death of its leader, the Al Arabiya TV channel reported on Monday.

According to Al Arabiya, the GPC sources said that "Ali Abdullah Saleh was killed during clashes with the Houthis in the country’s capital of Sana’a." The sources also say that Saleh did not die in an explosion but was shot by a sniper.

Earlier on Monday, Al Arabia reported violent clashes on the southern outskirts of the Yemeni capital, where the former president’s house is located.

Clashes between Saleh’s supporters and the Houthis, involving large-caliber machine guns, grenade launchers and artillery guns, have been going on in Sana’a since Wednesday. Around 250 people from both sides are reported to have been killed.

Meanwhile, Ali Abdullah Saleh’s son Khaled has been reported wounded and captured by the Houthi rebels from the Ansar Allah movement, Al Mayadeen said. According to the TV channel, the former president of Yemen managed to leave Sana’a with the air support of the Saudi-led coalition. His convoy reached the outskirts of the city of Marib (170 kilometers from Sana’a) when it was attacked by rebels. Al Mayadeed showed photos of the dead politician with a fatal wound to the head.

The Ansar Allah movement claims to have regained control of the Yemeni capital after an attack carried out by Saleh’s supporters.

According to Al Mayadeen, the Houthi-controlled Interior Ministry has issued a statement saying that there was a plot to ignite feuds in Sana’s. "The crisis has been brought to an end, the leader of the plotters [Saleh] has been killed while trying to leave the city," the statement reads.

Officials in Ali Abdullah Saleh’s General People’s Congress party (GPC) confirmed to Reuters that the former Yemeni president and party leader has been killed outside Sanaa, in what sources in the Houthi group said was an RPG and gun attack.

Yemen's Saleh killed in RPG, gun attack on his car, party confirms death
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1203586/middle-east

The GPC officials said Saleh was killed south of the capital Sanaa along with the assistant secretary-general of the GPC, Yasser Al-Awadi.

Sources in the Houthi group said fighters stopped his armored vehicle with an RPG rocket and then shot him dead.

A Houthi video distributed on social media showed what appeared to be Saleh’s body, clad in grey clothes and being carried out on a red blanket. The side of his head bore a deep wound.

Unverified footage that circulated earlier on social media showed armed militiamen unfurling a blanket containing the corpse and shouting, “Praise God!” and “Hey Ali Affash!,” another last name for Saleh.

 

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New airstrikes were carried out less than a day after the Saudi-led had stricken the Yemeni capital in support of ex-Yemeni president's forces.

Red Cross Reports 2 Airstrikes in Yemeni Capital Sanaa on Monday Night
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201712041059691639-sanaa-airstrikes-icrc/

Two airstrikes were registered on Monday night in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, near the office of the International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC communications officer Iolanda Jaquemet told Sputnik.

According to Jaquemet, the situation during the previous night was "much worse," while at least 125 people were killed and 238 were injured due to the surge of violence in the capital of Yemen.

The day before, the Saudi-led coalition had allegedly bombed Houthi positions in the city, while the group was fighting the supporters of ex-Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh, the Shiite movement's former ally. The information is yet to be commented on by the representatives of the coalition.

On Sunday, a freelance correspondent working for Sputnik in Yemen went missing and has not made any contact within 24 hours after Houthi rebels took over a TV station’s headquarters in Sanaa. The correspondent last got in touch at around 11:30 GMT on Sunday, the same day when the hostages went on a hunger strike.

Home of Sputnik’s Missing Freelance Journalist in Sanaa Raided - Source
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201712051059695027-yemen-sputnik-journalist-raid-source/

The journalist’s acquaintance told Sputnik on Monday that a group of unknown people, most likely linked to the Shiite Houthi rebel movement, also known as Ansar Allah, have raided the home of missing Sputnik’s freelance correspondent in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa.

“The house was raided by the Houthis, while his whereabouts is still unknown,” the source said.

The TV station, at which the Sputnik freelance correspondent worked and where he went missing, is the Yemen Today channel, known for being linked to the General People's Congress of the country's former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who on Saturday called on Yemeni citizens to protect the country from his recent allies, the Houthi movement.

Saleh has reportedly been killed by the Houthis and his party has confirmed his death, while a spokesman for the Yemeni Army told Sputnik that the Houthis had been tracking Saleh since Saturday and had killed him in a shooting.

Since Wednesday, former allies, namely the Houthis and troops loyal to Saleh, have been engaged in clashes in Sanaa. Dozens have been killed in the hostilities. On Monday, Saleh reaffirmed the end of alliance between him and the Houthis, accusing them of acting against the Yemenis for the sake of their own interests and an Iran-dictated vision of country's future.

These recent events come amid years of violent conflict in the country between the government headed by President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and the Houthi movement. Since March 2015, the Saudi-led coalition of mostly Persian Gulf countries has been carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis at Hadi's request.

Disputed Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has been a central figure in the civil war for control of the Gulf country he ruled for 22 years, was killed on December 4 by his former allies in the Houthi faction of the war.

What Does the Death of Former President Saleh Mean for the Yemeni Civil War?
https://sputniknews.com/analysis/201712051059697382-saleh-death-yemen-civil-war/

Saleh and the Houthis have opposed the reign of the Saudi-backed Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, a longtime enemy of the Houthi movement. Saleh was forced to resign following a popular uprising against him in 2012, but when the Houthis began to openly fight against Hadi in 2015, Saleh joined their bid for control of the country.

On December 2, Saleh switched sides. He announced that he was ending his faction's alliance with the Houthis and declaring instead for Hadi and his Saudi allies. Fighting broke out in the rebel-controlled capital city of Sana'a, and Saleh was killed by a Houthi sniper.

Brian Becker and John Kiriakou of Radio Sputnik's Loud & Clear spoke to Massoud Shadjareh of the Islamic Human Rights Commission and Kathy Kelly of Voices for Creative Non-Violence.

Saleh, according to Shadjareh, is known "in Yemen and internationally as a ‘man of all seasons': someone who clearly has been only on the side of himself. The majority of the Yemenis recognize him as such. He wasn't specifically loved by anyone but he did have a power base, specifically a section of the ex-army. He bargained and bartered with that power to get position, and unfortunately the way things are in Middle East, those who are not principled and are willing to sell to the highest bidder prosper."

But, Shadjareh added, such types usually "find themselves in this type of situation eventually."

Saleh, who was president of North Yemen from 1978-1990 and then of the reunited Yemen from 1990-2012, had proved himself a skillful and savvy political operator — but to Shadjareh, his conniving tactics finally caught up with him. He had no loyalty to his fellow countryman, or believing in anything substantial except himself. He has switched sides over and over. I think what happened in the last few days was really his fortune. He created the environment and he ended up being the victim of it."

Saleh's death is a major development in a civil war that has devolved into an ugly stalemate, as the Saudi coalition blockade the rebel territory. But to Kelly, his death won't signal a winding down of hostilities — more likely, the opposite.

It seems quite possible that the street fighting and the ongoing fighting could open up a new front to what has already been a horrible catastrophe. People have weapons and want to use them, and so it is seems as though a diplomatic solution wherein people would be persuaded to put down their weapons seems elusive."

Eight million people right now according to the UN are on the brink of starvation in Yemen. That should be the number one concern, along with the spread of cholera, along with the Saudi blockade which has wound down but hasn't been lifted. I'm sorry for the death of Mr. Saleh, the death of any person and their bereaved relatives and the cycle of violence that led up to it. But we should also acknowledge that Mohamed bin Salman, the crown prince in Saudi Arabia, has said that is an interest of the Saudis for this war to be prolonged."

"This is something that's so easily could be stopped," added Shadjareh. "But nobody really has got the political will in the West to actually stop this madness."

 

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Ex-Yemeni President Saleh's Nephew Dies in Clashes With Houthis - Reports
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201712061059734456-yemen-president-nephew-murder-reports/

On Monday, an official from Saleh's party confirmed reports that the former president was killed by Houthi rebels. Media reports said Saleh was killed as he tried to flee from Sanaa to the Yemeni province of Marib. One of Saleh's sons, Ahmed Ali is said to have pledged to avenge his father's death.

Meantime, Tareq Saleh, a nephew of recently killed former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, has allegedly died in clashes with Houthi rebels in the Yemeni capital city of Sanaa, the Sky News Arabia broadcaster reported Tuesday, citing Yemeni sources.

Saleh's nephew was a senior commander in military units of General People's Congress, headed by his late uncle.

On Tuesday, the US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said during a press briefing that the United States was closely following events in Yemen after the killing of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh by Houthi rebels.

“We’ve certainly followed that very closely,” Nauert told reporters on Tuesday in response to a question about the killing of Saleh.

Nauert also said the humanitarian situation in Yemen remains dire and the United States called on Saudi Arabia to allow more aid into the country.

Yemen's ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh was killed by the Houthis, his former allies, after he called for turning a new page in the Yemeni civil war.

Houthis Ready to Hand Over Body of Ex-Yemen President Saleh to Family - Official
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201712051059723464-houthis-ready-hand-body-saleh/

Yemen’s Houthi rebels are ready to give the body of former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh to his family if they are requested to, Houthi politburo member Halima Jahaf told Sputnik on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, media reports emerged that Houthis had only agreed to give Saleh’s body to his family if he were given a small funeral.

There have been no statements regarding the refusal to hand over his body. This is a new issue. Maybe his relatives will ask for his body and it will be done. We have no conditions,” Jahaf said.

On Sunday, amid clashes with the supporters of the former Yemen's president, the Houthi rebels seized the Yemen Today channel's station building, trapping journalists inside.

Yemen's Houthis Vow to Release Reporters They Are Holding - Official
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201712051059716209-yemen-houthis-vow-release-reporters/

The Yemeni Houthi rebels will free the journalists they are holding in a TV channel’s building in Sanaa after investigative procedures, Houthi politburo member Halima Jahaf told Sputnik on Tuesday.

"I do not have exact information about the journalists, who they are, but they will be held for some time only to determine the circumstances, they will be released," Jahaf said.

According to the Houthi official, many of those who were held hostage were recently freed and "they are not complaining about violations."

On Saturday the Houthis stormed Yemen Today broadcaster's headquarters, taking some 40 people hostage. A freelance correspondent working for Sputnik in Yemen went missing after rebels took over the TV station and has not made contact in 24 hours.

The takeover of the channel station occurred amid violent clashes provoked by the breakdown of the fragile alliance between the Houthis and Yemen's ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The violent conflict resulted in the Houthis gaining full control over the city, announcing the "end of crisis" after the shocking killing of Saleh.

Yemen’s Ansarullah movement said the country’s former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, “was not honest” in his confrontation with the Saudi-led military coalition as he was collaborating covertly with Riyadh, describing Saleh’s era as the “worst” in Yemen’s history.

Ansarullah: Yemen’s Ex-President Ali Abdullah Saleh Not Honest in Defending Nation
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960914000493

Mohammad al-Bukhaiti, a top figure in the Political Council of Yemen's Ansarullah movement, made the remarks in an interview, hours after Saleh was killed in clashes between his forces and the Yemeni popular forces on the outskirt of the capital Sana’a, presstv reported.

The Ansarullah official described the death of Saleh as a landmark and major turning point in Yemen’s history since a “dangerous plot against the nation” had been foiled by Yemeni forces.

"Today Yemen is witnessing a historic phase, maybe one of the most historic phases... The most dangerous conspiracy against these people was toppled," he added.

"We also have the end of the era of Saleh which was the worst era in the history of Yemen. We have entered a new phase. I would add that we have filled the gaps inside the country," he noted.

"Because Saleh wasn't honest in confronting the aggression, he was collaborating with this aggression secretly and not publicly or overtly," he added.

"We were correct when we accused Saleh of conspiring. We were also honest when we said that Saleh isn't participating in confronting the aggression, and using the card of internal sedition in Yemen will have an impact in confronting the aggression," he noted.

"Despite internal sedition, despite all this, the front against the aggression has not been affected ... despite many of the these forces being preoccupied by defusing this sedition," he further said.

"This shows that those fighting the aggression are the Yemeni people led by Leader of Yemen’s Ansarullah movement, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi. And there is a popular will in confronting this aggression and against this aggression. Were it not for a popular will.. a real popular will... we will not have succeeded in persevering against this foreign aggression and amidst the political divisions and sedition," he further stated.

"But the people were able to overcome this because the will of the people is in support of the leadership of Abdul-Malik al-Houthi and against this aggression.

"This historic moment will have a lot of repercussions. At the local level we will be able to fill all of the gaps...and will be able to focus on confronting the foreign aggression... and also they haven't realized that this was the last tool they had," he also noted. "Using the new cruise missiles against the UAE will also have a big impact on changing the future of Yemen and the whole region," he stated.

"We believe this sedition has ended because Saleh was collaborating with the aggression but secretly, and so when the popular base of Saleh's General People's Congress became confident that he was working with the aggression, his popularity decreased," he added.

"We allowed Saleh to participate in confronting the aggression... which he didn't do... so his popularity increased, so his danger also increased, but today after he announced joining the aggression and after he described confronting the aggression as a useless battle, he was exposed," Bukhaiti, noted.

"The popular leaders of his party were stunned and shocked by his statement. Just the day before he said he was against the aggression and in the period of one hour he announced that battling this aggression was useless," he also said.

"The supporters of the party had become vigilant. This now pushes more and more people to battle front because Saleh was disputing or preventing many of those in his party from going to the front and fighting the aggression."

"The countries launching the aggression used all of their cards. At the beginning by their direct military intervention they would sway the battle in their favor, but this did not happen," he added.

"So they once again depended on some Yemeni components to support them. But this also did not lead anywhere. When they were incapable of confronting the Yemeni forces on the borders Saudi Arabia tried to use Yemeni forces to protect its own borders, but this card also did not achieve any successes," he noted.

"So trying to use a foreign aggression, using political divisions, all of these cards didn't achieve success. So what remained was to pin their hopes on the internal crumpling or collapse and suffering of the Yemeni people," he further said.

"When Saleh spoke he did not only speak of changing his stance from confronting the aggression to one who was calling for the aggression but he actually gave the impression that the success of sedition and treason against us would translate to the end of the war and the end of suffering," he added.

"Now this card has fallen, the card of sedition has fallen from Saleh's hands," he said. "Trying to us the economy as a weapon also didn't have any impact on the country and increased the Yemeni peoples' hostility towards this campaign," he added.

He added that the talks with Saleh's party may be possible after they chose a new leader. "What is required now is that the honorable clean leaders in Saleh's party must be in the forefront and chose a noble leadership," he said adding that if they do so they will be supported. Bukhaiti also denied reports of ongoing clashes in the capital Sana'a, stressing that they were lies being spread by foreign news agencies. "These are absolute lies, we only here the bombings from the Saudi warplanes... which are now bombing the civilians," he said.

Yemen’s Interior Ministry issued a statement on Monday, confirming the death of Saleh, during clashes in capital Sana'a.

The ministry added that Yemeni forces, backed by fighters from the popular Ansarullah movement, were in full control of all positions previously held by Saleh’s forces in Sana’a. Hours later, Leader of Yemen’s Ansarullah movement, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, said in a televised message that the movement had managed to thwart a major threat to the country’s security by defeating the plot hatched by Saleh and his forces.

He added that despite his early pretense about being opposed to Saudi aggression, Saleh finally changed course and took sides with the aggressors.

Noting that recent positions taken by Saleh were openly in favor of Yemen’s enemies, the leader of Ansarullah said Saleh’s positions, which were backed by a united media front of the enemies even took members of his own party by surprise.

Following a bid to turn "a new page" in relations with the Saudi-led coalition, Yemen's former president Saleh was killed yesterday by the Houthis - his allies during the 2015-2016 struggle against the coalition. Speaking to Sputnik, politicians and observers from Yemen and Saudi Arabia shared their views on what will happen next in the country.

What the Future Has in Store for Yemen After Ex-President Saleh's Assassination
https://sputniknews.com/analysis/201712051059728088-yemen-saleh-death/

Former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh "killed himself when he openly announced that he had taken the side of the enemy," said Ahmed Hamid, spokesman for Ansar Allah, an official name for the Islamic religious-political Houthi movement.

"He trained armed groups in the south of the country who were supposed to conduct hostile missions," Hamid told Sputnik Arabic. "We learned all his plans with all the details and told him about it. However, he did not change his mind and said that the people would follow him."

'Yemen to Become More Stable and Secure Without Saleh' - According to the representatives of the Houthis, Saleh's murder was by no means revenge while the striking resemblance of his death to that of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is a "pure coincidence." If he had not resisted, he would have been brought to justice, they insist.

Hamid believes that, after Saleh's death, Yemen will become more stable and secure while at the political level there will be more transparency and a better understanding of what is happening.

The Ansar Allah spokesman said that the General People's Congress, a Yemeni nationalist political party which had been chaired by Saleh for 40 years, "welcomes cooperation" with the Houthis, because "they did not declare war on [Ansar Allah], this was done by the head of the party, who met his death a few days after his statement."

In a Saturday speech, Saleh stated that he was ready to turn "a new page" in relations with the Saudi-led coalition that has been at war against the Houthis since 2015. On Sunday, Saleh severed ties with his former allies — the Houthi rebels — and announced that Yemen "has to be saved from the madness" of the Ansar Allah movement.

'The Houthis Settled Old Scores With Saleh' - According to Yemeni political scientist Fuad Masad, the General People's Congress is likely to refrain from taking any steps and will wait until the situation clarifies.

Masad called upon the party's leadership in Sanaa not to succumb to provocation. He believes that the murder of Saleh could trigger the creation of new anti-Houthi coalitions both inside the country and beyond.

Saleh was assassinated not only for his betrayal, as the Houthis say," Masad told Sputnik. "They settled an old score: It was Abdullah Saleh who killed their leader Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi while being the president. The Houthis did not forget this and as soon as they saw an opportunity, they declared the split and murdered Saleh."

'Assassination of Saleh Will Lead to New Clashes, Protracted Crisis' - Hussein Laqur ben Idan, one of the leaders of the Yemeni political and paramilitary Southern Movement (al-Hirak), doesn't share Ansar Allah's optimism. According to Idan, the assassination of Saleh will provoke new clashes which will lead to a protracted crisis.

"The conflict won't be brought to end in Yemen as long as Houthi groups maintain control over Sanaa," the politician told Sputnik.

According to Idan, there is a strong divide between the General People's Congress and the Ansar Allah group. "Without the General National Congress, the Houthis are very weak, therefore their positions will worsen tremendously," he predicted, adding that it was the forces loyal to Saleh who enabled the Houthis to take control of the Yemeni capital and other areas.

'Yemen is Entering the Worst Period in Its History' - Saudi military expert, retired Major General Abdalla Ganim al-Qahtani, echoed Idan, suggesting that after the murder of the former Yemeni president, the country "is entering the worst period in its recent history."

"One should expect repressions and clashes between the warring parties, for instance, between the tribes and the Houthis," al-Qahtani foresees. "I think there will be chaos in Yemen in general and in Sanaa in particular. The Houthis will turn into a terrorist force that will kill its opponents and those who oppose Iran."

The retired major general believes that Iran was behind the assassination of Saleh. He referred to Tehran's silence on the recent developments in Sanaa. "Tehran does not need to say anything, it is itself involved in these events," the military expert said. "In Sanaa there are Iranian military men, snipers, engineers, scouts."

The Saudi general called upon all parties concerned, especially the government of Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, to continue the fight against Houthi rebels. He believes that Saleh's murder would prompt the Yemenis to resist Ansar Allah. "Unfortunately, this will lead to great losses and the oppressed Yemeni people will pay in blood in this war," he said.

The former President of Yemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh, has been killed by Houthi fighters. Meanwhile, violence rages in the capital Sanaa following the breakdown of Saleh’s alliance with the movement last week.

Yemeni ex-President Saleh killed by Houthis following his realignment with Saudis (Video)
https://www.rt.com/news/411854-yemens-ex-president-saleh-killed/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBALwgNKxgE (0:31 min.)

 

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The streets of Yemeni capital Sanaa are empty and the situation remains unclear in the wake of violent clashes in the city and subsequent death of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Streets of Yemeni Capital Empty as Clashes Calm Down After Ex-President’s Death
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201712061059757303-streets-sanaa-empty-clashes-saleh/

Local residents told Sputnik about the situation in Sanaa, where on November 29, members of the Houthi movement and army units loyal to Saleh started fighting each other. On Monday, the former president was killed by the same rebels who used to fight alongside Saleh’s troops against the Yemeni government led by President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.

Humanitarian Situation - The fighting in Sanaa has caused "severe shortage in basic needs," Ameen Saleh Al-Ward, a resident of the capital who used to teach Arabic to non-native speakers at Yemen Institute for Arabic Language, told Sputnik.

"The streets are still empty of vehicle movement and pedestrians, and shops are closed," Al-Ward said, describing the current living conditions of Sanaa residents as "really miserable."

The United Nations on Monday urged the conflicting parties in Sanaa to enable a humanitarian pause so that aid could reach civilians in need. UK-based charity Oxfam supported the call on Tuesday, with Deputy Humanitarian Director for Oxfam's Global Humanitarian Team Colette Fearon telling Sputnik that finding a political solution remains the only way to end the crisis.

The clashes in the capital have affected not only the daily activities of locals, but also those of humanitarian organizations. The International Committee of the Red Cross' (ICRC) medical warehouse in the city was hit on Monday, with the agency saying it still has no access to the facility due to the fighting.

"We still have no access to the warehouse where our medicine is, and we need urgent access because hospitals are in need of this medical material, particularly for those wounded in war. We still have no access because of the presence of gunmen," Iolanda Jaquemet, the public relations officer for Near and Middle East at ICRC, told Sputnik on Tuesday.

Life in Sanaa - Abeer Alaya, a student at the Lebanese International University in Yemen, said the situation in the capital was "too bad."

"Colleges, companies and schools are closed. Streets are empty. The situation is very complicated, though we stopped all activities since the situation is very complicated. Now we don't know what we can do," he said.

Alaya stressed that the university and its students were in a difficult situation and did not know if they would be able to complete their studies if the crisis continued.

Al-Ward noted that since the beginning of Yemen's crisis in 2015, many non-Arabic students from the Yemen Institute for Arabic Language have left the country, forcing him to switch over to teaching online courses.

View From South - Repercussions of the crisis in Sanaa have been felt across the country.

Despite claiming that the events in Sanaa have not affected the activities of Aden University in southern Yemen, Ahmed Alsaiaad, the general manager of its IT department, stressed that the people in the city were worried and frightened about their future.

"The conflict in the north is around the forces of influence right now, and we hope that it will not affect the south region," Alsaiaad told Sputnik.

"In the south, in general, the security situation is good, while the economic situation is going to really bad, which affects the people lives because of the government corruption and mismanagement. While in the north of Yemen, which is controlled by Houthis, the security situation [is] unstable [as well], besides the bad economic situation," he explained.

Ex-President's Death - Reactions to the death of former President Saleh have differed, according to Al-Ward.

"People in Sana'a fall into two parties, the first party who work pro-Houthis are celebrating, and the second party who work pro-Saleh … are in a state of shock and deep sadness," he explained.

The Houthi rebels told Sputnik on Tuesday that they were ready to hand over Saleh's body to his family if asked to do so, refuting media reports that they demanded Saleh be given a discrete funeral in exchange for releasing his body.

Earlier in the day, media reports emerged that Saleh was buried without official ceremony in his native district of Sanhan. Other media claimed that the burial, attended only by few family members, took place in Sanaa.

Over 230 people have been killed in clashes in the Yemeni capital, the ICRC told Sputnik on Tuesday, with the agency’s representative in Sanaa saying that the situation in the city has become slightly more calm.

Yemen’s top figures lauded defeat of foreign-sponsored conspiracies against the country’s revolution and praised the role of all Yemeni tribes and the country’s General People's Congress in foiling the enemy plots.

Yemen Top Figures Laud Defeat of Conspiracies against Revolution
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2017/12/05/1593103/yemen-top-figures-laud-defeat-of-conspiracies-against-revolution

Following several days of fierce street clashes between Ali Abdullah Saleh, the former Yemeni President’s militia and the Houthi Ansarullah Movement’s forces in the capital Sana’a, Head of Yemen's Supreme Political Council Saleh al-Samad said that security has been restored in all areas and provinces effected by the sedition, Lebanon's al-Mayadeen news channel reported.

“Conspiracy has been defeated and elements and leaders of coup d'état were killed,” the official noted in a reference to death of Abdullah Saleh in the clashes.

He thanked the role of all Yemeni tribes and the leaders of the country’s General People's Congress in defeating the enemies.

In the meantime, Yemen’s Houthi Ansarullah Movement Spokesman Mohammad Abdul Salam said that the national movements realized the complicated plot hatched against the revolution and played a role in deterring it.

He highlighted the role of United Arab Emirates (UAE)’ in Saleh betrayal and noted that “We have no problem with our brothers in the General People’s Congress.”

“We have problem with the traitors that cooperate with the invading (Saudi-led) coalition,” the official said.

Also, Mohammad al-Bukhaiti, a top figure in the Political Council of Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement said to Press TV on Monday that Saleh “was not honest” in his confrontation with the Saudi-led military coalition as he was collaborating covertly with Riyadh.

The Houthi official described the death of Saleh on Monday as a landmark and major turning point in Yemen’s history since a “dangerous plot against the nation” had been foiled by Yemeni forces.

"Today Yemen is witnessing a historic phase, maybe one of the most historic phases... The most dangerous conspiracy against these people was toppled," he adde

"We also have the end of the era of Saleh which was the worst era in the history of Yemen. We have entered a new phase. I would add that we have filled the gaps inside the country," he noted.

Yemen’s Interior Ministry issued a statement on Monday, confirming the death of Saleh.

The ministry added that Yemeni forces, backed by fighters from the popular Ansarullah Houthi movement, were in full control of all positions previously held by Saleh’s militias in Sana’a.

Saudis have stepped up attacks on Yemen, in particular Sana’a following death of Saleh.

Yemen’s defenseless people have been under massive attacks by the Saudi-led coalition for the past three years but Riyadh has reached none of its objectives in Yemen so far.

Over 12,000 Yemenis, including thousands of women and children, have lost their lives in the deadly military campaign.

Saudi-led coalition has stepped up attacks on Yemen and its warplanes bombed the presidential palace in Yemen’s capital and some other areas across the country on Monday.

Saudis Bomb Yemen Presidential Palace in Capital, Sana’a
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2017/12/05/1592766/saudis-bomb-yemen-presidential-palace-in-capital-sana-a

The palace in Sana’a, currently used by the Houthi Ansarullah Movement, was pounded by at least four airstrikes late Monday, the Arabic-language al-Masirah television network reported. It’s the first time the building has been targeted in almost three years of war. They also targeted the al-Sabeen region near Sana’a five times.

In the meantime, at least 18 civilians were killed or injured on Monday in the Saudi-led coalition warplanes attack on Na'adh Market on Sanhan and Bani Bahlol districts in Sana'a province, the Yemen’s official Saba News Agency reported.

Saudis have stepped up attacks on Yemen, in particular Sana’a following death of their ally, the former Yemeni dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh. Saleh was killed after betraying the Yemen revolution and allying with the Saudi-led coalition which is pounding the country for the past three years.

Yemeni capital witnessed street clashes between the Houthi Ansarullah Movement and Saleh forces in recent days but the country’s Army Spokesman Brigadier General Sharaf Luqman said on Monday that security has been restored in the whole Sana’a province.

Yemen’s defenseless people have been under massive attacks by the Saudi-led coalition for the past three years but Riyadh has reached none of its objectives in Yemen so far.

 

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All 40 staff of the Al Yaman al-Yaum TV station as well as the freelance Sputnik correspondent who were seized two weeks ago were released Wednesday by their captors in Yemen.

Journalists Seized in Yemen Released, Including Sputnik Correspondent
https://sputniknews.com/world/201712131059977721-journalists-seized-yemen-sputnik-correspondent-released/

"In the evening of December 13, I and the other 40 employees of [Yemeni TV channel Yemen Today] were released, 12 days after the channel's building was captured on December 2," Sputnik's correspondent said in a statement.

The group of journalists were captured and detained December 2 after rebels from the Shiite Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah, raided the news station's building in Sanaa, Yemen.

The raid on the station is said to be linked to clashes that broke out between Houthis and supporters of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, which have been underway since Saleh's General People's Congress (GPC) party said that the rebels attempted to carry out a coup. Saleh was later killed by rebels on December 4 and was buried five days later.

In response to the raid, Sputnik's press service released a statement that read, "We are doing everything possible to determine the fate of and find our freelance correspondent in Yemen who went missing after the [Houthi] rebels took over the TV center building in Sana'a where he was at the time with other journalists."

It was reported earlier that the correspondent's home was raided after his capture, and that some of the journalists launched a hunger strike to protest their detention. On Sunday, a Houthi representative promised Sputnik that the journalists would be freed.

Fighting has erupted between the Saudi-backed mercenaries and UAE troops in Aden in Southern Yemen.

Clashes Erupt Among Saudi-Led Coalition Members in Yemen
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960922000897

The streets of the town al-Mansoura in Aden province became the scenes of fierce clashes between the UAE forces and the militias supported by the Riyadh government.

The local residents confirmed that several districts of al-Mansoura town, including the Central Prison and al-Taseen street witnessed tough street battles.

The sources reiterated that tens of security forces affiliated to the counter-terrorism department equipped with military equipment and armored vehicles have been dispatched to the surrounding areas of al-Mansoura.

"The UAE's apache helicopters also flew above al-Mansoura streets," the sources added.

Meantime, media sources disclosed that the residents of Aden have been terrified by huge blasts and different types of weapons used in the clashes.

The Saudi-led coalition waging war on Yemen attacked the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, targeting the headquarters of military police, in air raids which left a dozen people dead and 80 more injured.

Over 90 People Killed, Wounded in Saudi Deadly Airstrikes in Yemen
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960922000699

Saudi bombers hit the city’s Shu’aub District, Yemen’s al-Masirah television network said, adding that the aircraft had carried out seven rounds of bombings against the facility.

Separately, Saudi warplanes pounded Sahar District in the Northwestern Yemeni province of Sa’ada, injuring four civilians.

Riyadh fighter jets also pounded a vehicle in Maqbanah District of the Southwestern Yemen Ta’izz Province, killed and injured an unspecified number of people.