Yemeni Vice President Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar stressed on Sunday the need to unite internal ranks to confront Houthi militia violations.
He declared that the state stands by all “who perform their duties against the Houthi insurgents.”
“The Houthis propagate dictatorship and class division in Yemeni society,” he added.
The National People’s Congress of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh later issued a statement welcoming efforts to unite internal Yemeni ranks and “eliminate the sources of tensions.”
Saleh announced on Saturday that he wanted to open a new chapter in ties with the Saudi-led Arab coalition aimed at restoring legitimacy in Yemen, effectively ending his alliance with the Houthis.
Clashes have been raging in the capital Sana’a between the Houthis and Saleh supporters since Wednesday.
The unrest continued on Sunday with official Yemeni military spokesman Abdo Majali announcing that the army was still waging its battle against the militias.
He added that the army was not banking on Saleh’s recent shift in allegiance, but it was relying on the Yemeni people and national military.
It was only natural for the two former allies to turn against each other, he remarked, because the Houthis do not accept the other.
The army made advances on Sunday in the eastern section of Sana’a after it had imposed its control in the past three days over the Nahm directorate.
The military was now advancing on the Beni Barq and al-Hol districts, said a field source.
Throughout these developments, the National People’s Congress continued to fortify its positions on the ground in Sana’a, especially around vital locations and ministries it had seized from the Houthis in this week’s fighting.
