Yemen’s Saleh denies alliance with Houthis

Deposed Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh denied on Monday that he is specifically an ally of Houthi militia Ansarullah Group. He stressed instead that he is an ally of anyone “defending the country”, Palestinian newspaper Al-Resalah has reported.

“Today, Yemenis are allies against external aggression,” wrote Saleh on Facebook, in a reference to the Saudi-led coalition attack against the Houthis. In a coded message to the militias, the ex-president called for a “united internal front” to defend the country.

“We will face the aggression [from the coalition] if it invades our land,” he wrote, adding that the bombing campaign by coalition forces did not achieve any goal.

Saleh’s words came after coalition aircraft targeted the home of his elder son, Ahmed, who was the commander of the Republican Guards during his period in office. In a televised speech on Sunday, he insisted that the balance of power in the region will be turned “upside down” due to the “aggression against Yemen.”