Shiite Houthi gunmen seize presidential palace in Yemen
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E-mail Xinhua, January 20, 2015
The Shiite Houthi group seized on Tuesday the presidential palace one day after it signed a ceasefire deal with the Yemeni government that ended deadly clashes, a government source said.
![A Houthi fighter guards the street one day after clashes erupted between presidential guards and Shiite Houthi fighters in Sanaa, Yemen, on Jan. 20, 2015. The Yemeni government and Houthi group agreed to a ceasefire on Monday in the capital Sanaa after fresh clashes left 9 people killed and 79 others injured. [Photo/Xinhua]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20150121/001aa0ba3c161629520203.jpg "A Houthi fighter guards the street one day after clashes erupted between presidential guards and Shiite Houthi fighters in Sanaa, Yemen, on Jan. 20, 2015. The Yemeni government and Houthi group agreed to a ceasefire on Monday in the capital Sanaa after fresh clashes left 9 people killed and 79 others injured. [Photo/Xinhua]") |
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A Houthi fighter guards the street one day after clashes erupted between presidential guards and Shiite Houthi fighters in Sanaa, Yemen, on Jan. 20, 2015. The Yemeni government and Houthi group agreed to a ceasefire on Monday in the capital Sanaa after fresh clashes left 9 people killed and 79 others injured. [Photo/Xinhua] |
The Shiite Houthi gunmen entered the palace along with the presidential committee that monitors the ceasefire, a senior official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity, adding that the committee ordered the guards to hand over the compound without resistance.
"No clashes happened as the guards peacefully handed over their arms and left the palace. The Houthis then celebrate by opening fire into the air and firing bombs," he said.
Heavy gunfire and explosions were heard across the city on Monday while the presidential guards and Houthi fighters clashed near the presidential palace in southern Sanaa.
The Houthi fighters controlled al-Nahdayn mountain on Monday afternoon, which overlooks the presidential palace, which President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi does not live in.
The two sides reached a ceasefire deal, which was in force as of 4 p.m. (1300 GMT) on Monday, after the fighting left nine people killed and 79 others injured, most of them civilians.
A presidential committee comprised of the defense and interior ministers, special security forces commander and president adviser Saleh al-Sammad, a member of the Houthi group, will monitor the ceasefire.
However, Information Minister Nadia al-Sakkaf said Tuesday that Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's residence is under intermittent attacks from Houthi fighters.
"Hadi's house is under attacks by Houthi gunmen stationing on the top roof of buildings in front of Hadi's house since three hours ago despite ongoing negotiations with Houthi leaders," al-Sakkaf said.
The negotiations are focusing on terms for releasing the director of Hadi's office, Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, who was kidnapped by Houthis earlier this week, in return for changes in the constitution draft and expanding the national authority, she added.
Houthis, who demand more rights for the country's Zyadi Shiite Muslims, seized Sanaa in September and advanced into central and western parts of the country where Sunni Muslims predominate.
Monday's clashes were triggered by the kidnapping of bin Mubarak by the Houthis, in a wrangle over the country's draft constitution.
The Houthi group said in a statement on Sunday that the arrest of bin Mubarak 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 regions.
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