Shia militiamen seized the presidential palace in Yemen’s capital on Tuesday in what a Minister said was a bid to overthrow President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi and his US-backed Government. Witnesses said the heavily armed gunmen were also clashing with troops outside the residence of Hadi, who was reportedly inside receiving visitors at the time of the attack.
“The Yemeni president is under attack by militiamen who want to overthrow the regime,” Information Minister Nadia Sakkaf said on Twitter. The fresh unrest came after the Huthi militiamen, who have tightened their grip on Sanaa since overrunning it unopposed in September, surrounded the Prime Minister’s residence at the end of a bloody day on Monday.
Prior to the attack on the presidency, the Government had sought to hold “urgent” talks on Tuesday to produce a roadmap to end violence. The United Nations Security Council is to hold closed door consultations about the worsening crisis on Tuesday, with special envoy Jamal Benomar to report on the latest developments.
Pitched battles had erupted on Monday near the presidential palace and in other parts of Sanaa, before a ceasefire was agreed between ministers and a Huthi representative. At least nine people were killed, including fighters from both sides, and 67 wounded, as the militia seized an
Army base overlooking the complex and took control of State media. Yemen has been wracked by unrest for months, raising fears of a collapse of Hadi’s Government, a crucial ally in Washington’s fight against Al-Qaeda.