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Clashes kill 8 in Yemen's capital

Xinhua, January 20, 2015 Adjust font size:

At least nine people were killed on Monday in clashes between the presidential guards and Shiite 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, Nadia al-Sakkaf said.

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 on 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 on 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 cease-fire deal on Monday afternoon, which "will enter into force as of 4:00 p.m. local time (1300 GMT)," the state-run TV reported.

The decision was made by a presidential committee consisted of the defense 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 cease-fire. Endit