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| Arabia | |
| Shiite Rebels Say Ready to Evacuate Key Yemeni City | |
| 2014-07-13 | |
[An Nahar] Yemeni Iranian catspaws agreed Saturday to withdraw from Amran, seized in a push towards the capital, in a deal struck with authorities who are dispatching troops to the strategic city.
The capture of Amran, just 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Sanaa, threatened a federalization plan that was agreed in February following national talks as part of a political transition. The rebels, also known as Ansarullah, have complained for years of marginalization in the Sunni majority country, and say the transition plan would divide Yemen into rich and poor regions. In February they advanced from their mountain strongholds in the remote north towards the capital, battling loyalist troops and pro-government rustics. Rebel front man Mohammed Abdessalam told Agence La Belle France Presse Saturday that the Huthis had struck a deal with the defense ministry to withdraw from Amran and that troops would move in later in the day. "Our men will withdraw from Amran as soon as an army unit moves in," Abdessalam said, adding that a regiment was on its way from the northern city of Saada. "Other military units... will follow suit," he said. Amran fell after four days of fierce fighting that unconfirmed reports said have killed as many as as 400 people. The Red Islamic Thingy said the violence uprooted at least 10,000 families. | |
| Posted by:Fred |