Nine People Killed in Clashes in Yemen’s capital Sanaa

At least nine people were killed Monday in clashes between the presidential guards and Shia Houthi militia in Yemen’s capital Sanaa, Information Minister Nadia al-Sakkaf said. The toll in Monday morning’s confrontation included four citizens, three Houthi fighters and two presidential guards, Xinhua quoted Nadia al-Sakkaf as saying.
Medical sources confirmed that 79 others, mostly civilians, were injured by stray bullets and random shelling. The toll could rise as some of the injured are in critical conditions, they said.

According to government sources, the Houthi group met with President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi Monday night and agreed on the terms for releasing the director of Hadi’s office in exchange for some modification of the draft constitution. Fresh clashes erupted in Sanaa after the director of the Yemeni presidential office, Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, was kidnapped by the Houthis two days ago, in a wrangle over the country’s draft constitution.

The Houthi group said in a statement Sunday that bin Mubarak’ s abduction was a necessary step to prevent influential parties from approving the draft constitution. According to the draft constitution, Yemen will be divided into six federal regions. However, the Houthi group demands that the country be divided into only two. The Houthi group and the government announced a ceasefire deal Monday afternoon, which “will enter into force as of 4 p.m.,” the state-run TV reported.

The decision was made by a presidential committee consisted of the defence and interior ministers, the special security forces commander and president adviser Saleh al-Sammad, a member of the Houthi group. The committee immediately started observing the implementation of the ceasefire. (IANS)