Residents of Yemen’s central strategic city Taiz have taken to the streets in protest. They say Houthi fighters opposed to the country’s beleaguered president have taken over parts of their city, including the local military airport camp, with no struggle from local authorities.
Residents protest Houthi takeover of Yemen’s central city Taiz
Activists in the city say Houthis fired their guns into the air to disperse protesters.
The residents say they’re here to say ‘NO’ to a Houthi government.
PROTESTER, ABDULSATAR AL-SHAMIRI, SAYS: “The Taiz people here together reject the presence of this militia, who are surrounding this camp, and will not leave this place or get out of this province.”
The conflict in Yemen has been spreading across the country since last year … when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and effectively removed President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
He now seeks a comeback from his base in Yemen’s second city Aden.
But the takeover in Taiz is now an escalation in Yemen’s power struggle, which diplomats say risks drawing in neighboring oil giant Saudi Arabia as well as its main rival — Iran.
Ventuno