Local Editor
Tens of thousands of Yemeni Houthi supporters rallied in Sana’a on Thursday, a day after deadly clashes between the Houthis and loyalists of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh sparked fears of more violence.
The clashes, which erupted late Wednesday near the Saleh mosque in the capital, killed 14 people, according to multiple medical sources.
One source at the Jumhuriya hospital said on Thursday the death toll had risen to as many as 24, although the numbers could not be confirmed by other hospitals in the area.
Fearing renewed clashes, people were opting to stay at home on Thursday night, witnesses said, as armed supporters of both sides deployed in some streets.
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The rally came after late-night mediation attempts between Saleh and the Houthis failed to reconcile the two sides, sources in Saleh's General People's Congress party said.
Sana’a's Sabaeen Square was packed on Thursday afternoon as Yemenis gathered to mark the Prophet Mohammed's birthday, heeding a call from Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi for supporters to attend.
- Threat to Saudi Arabia -
Security forces loyal to Saleh joined forces with the Houthis in 2014, and they went on to capture swathes of territory together and fight regime forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition.
On Thursday Sayyed Al-Houthi threatened to retaliate again over a blockade imposed by the coalition.
"Should the blockade continue, we know what (targets) would cause great pain and how to reach them," the Houthi leader said in a televised speech.
Yemen's conflict has claimed more than 12,000 lives since 2015, when Saudi Arabia and its military allies joined Hadi's regime in the fight against the revolutionaries.
The United Nations has warned Yemen faces mass famine unless the Saudi-led coalition allows more food aid to enter the impoverished country.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by Website Team
