White House calls on Houthi rebels to stop fomenting violence in Yemen

The White House on Wednesday called on Yemen’s Shia Houthi rebels to “stop fomenting instability in Yemen” and to cooperate with UN envoy Jamal Benomar to resolve the crisis plaguing the country, Anadolu news agency reported.

White House Spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters on a daily briefing in Washington that: “We would call on them to stop that instability and that violence and cooperate with this UN-led process to resolve the difference among all the sides.”

The situation in Yemen recently escalated after Houthis seized control of Hota and the Al-Anad airbase, both in South Lahj province, and abducted Defence Minister Mahmoud Subaihi and another senior military official.

With their hands on Hota and the security and government headquarters in Taiz, the Houthis are narrowing their grip on Aden, the stronghold of resigned President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.