Houthi rebels seize key sites in capital as Yemen’s PM resigns

Yemeni Prime Minister Mohamed Basindwa has resigned amid escalating clashes in the capital between Shia Houthi rebels and pro-government forces. The Houthis have taken control of government buildings, a radio station in Sana’a and a major army base north of the capital. Fighting raged in the capital on Sunday and the shelling and gunfire in the north of Sana’a was heard across the city. A week of fighting between the two sides has left dozens of people dead and forced the suspension of all flights into or out of Sana’a airport, which lies within the battle zone.

I have tried to narrow the gap between the two parties and we’ve agreed on a number of points that can serve as the basis of an accord.

UN envoy Jamal Benomar

There was no let-up in the fighting on Saturday night, despite an after-dark curfew ordered by President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi. The fighting centred on the campus of the religious Iman University, a bastion of Sunni Islamists that the Shiite rebels have been trying to capture, witnesses said. It came despite the announcement by UN envoy Jamal Benomar late on Saturday that a deal had been reached after “intense consultations with all the political parties, including (rebel movement) Ansarullah.” The University of Sana’a, Yemen’s biggest, was shut on Saturday after a mortar landed inside its grounds.

Africa Yemen