Rebel Shiite Houthis battled soldiers near Yemen's presidential palace
and elsewhere across the capital of Sanaa today as officials claimed a
ceasefire had been reached to halt the violence—even as the convoy of
the country's prime minister came under fire. The fighting near the
palace marks the biggest challenge yet to the government of President
Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi by the Houthis, who seized the capital during
their advance in September across parts of Yemen. Many believe deposed
President Ali Abdullah Saleh, ousted in a deal after Arab Spring
protests, has orchestrated their campaign.
The
violence began early today, with witnesses saying heavy machine-gun fire
could be heard as mortars fell around the presidential palace. Hadi
doesn't live at the palace, but his home nearby was quickly surrounded
by additional soldiers and tanks amid sporadic gunfire, witnesses say.
The latest spasm of violence appears to be rooted in the Houthis'
rejection of a draft constitution that divides the country into six
federal regions. On Saturday, the Houthis kidnapped one of Hadi's top
aides to disrupt a meeting scheduled for the same day that was to work
on the new constitution.
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