What we know so far about the situation in Yemen

Former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh said on Saturday he was ready for a “new page” in relations with the coalition fighting in Yemen. The call came as his supporters managed to control the majority of Sanaa.

So far, here are the recent developments:

-Three mediations between Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the Houthis have failed since yesterday.

-UAE said that Qatar has attempted to mediate in order to save Houthis.

-On Saturday, Saleh called on the Arab coalition to halt its operations, promising to open a “new page” with them after two years of fighting, especially after being an ally to the Houthi rebels.

- Saleh called upon the soldiers and officers who were excluded to return to their camps, in a clear message for escalation and confronting the Houthis.

- In a televised speech broadcast by Al-Masirah channel, Al-Houthi described the events in Sanaa as a coup and a betrayal.

- Every two or three hours, confrontations against Houthi militia resume in the neighborhoods controlled by Saleh and his followers in the political district and Al Jazaer-Algeria neighborhood.

- The clashes extend to other neighborhoods in the direction of Saleh’s house west of the Kamim market.

- Four hours ago, Saleh’s followers took control of a Houthi headquarter in the political district near Ibn Majid school.

- Since 1 am on Saturday, clashes between the followers of Saleh and al-Houthi have spread to important neighborhoods and they are still ongoing.

- The Houthis stationed four tanks in the streets to intimidate the people in Sanaa, and one of the tanks was headed to the political district but could not enter.

- The general situation in Sanaa is tragic amid fears of a war.

- The majority of the rescue guard and the military police rejected the orders of the Houthi leaders.

- Tribes began to move to bolster the position of Saleh and took control of the South Sanaa gate.

- The slogan of the marches is: ‘No more Houthis after today.’

- A spokesman for al-Houthi militias said that killing former president Ali Abdullah Saleh is now justified

- Three Houthi leaders have been killed since yesterday, in addition to dozens of deaths of individuals. These Houthi leaders are Hamza Yahya al-Mukhtar, Ali Khraim and Abdullah bin Salem Sharif.

- Two Houthi leaders, Mutahar al-Kahlani and Ibrahim al-Wajih, were arrested during the liberation of two military institutions.

- Saleh’s supporters control the headquarters of the presidency, military sites and important Arab embassies.

- Meanwhile, the Arab coalition forces are calling on Yemenis to circumvent the ‘intifada’.

- Saleh's forces, with a help from tribes, control ministries of Interior , defense and the north entrance of Sanaa.

source: Xinhua