Killing of Saleh escalates violent sectarian proxy war in Yemen

SANAA, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Leader of Yemen's Houthi movement said Monday that they have foiled a plot by ex-president Saleh to involve all Yemeni people in armed chaos.

Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi made the remarks in his group-owned Al-Masirah satellite TV channel on Monday, hours after his fighters killed former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

"I had appealed to Saleh to retreat back from backing the aggression and the war he announced," al-Houthi said, referring the word "aggression" to the Saudi-led military coalition.

"Saleh's stance came at time the coalition leaders ordered their troops to advance to the capital Sanaa," al-Houthi aside.

He also said the enemy media support Saleh in his move and backed him with air strikes on the capital.

"Unfortunately, Saleh turned his back to our all appeals," al-Houthi said, adding that "there will not be a problem with the General People's Congress and we will continue our partnership with them in running the country and confronting the aggression (coalition)."

Saleh, his relatives and his senior aids were killed three days after the clashes first erupted on Saturday between his loyalists and Houthis in the capital Sanaa.

Saleh's party said in a statement that the war against Iranian-aligned Houthi movement will continue until the recapture of the capital Sanaa.

Observers said the death of Saleh could escalate a violent sectarian proxy war between pro-Sunni Saudi Arabia and pro-Shiite Iran. Enditem