Yemen's government troops have been battling Houthi rebels for a third
day in the capital Sanaa after the collapse of ceasefire talks, officials and
residents say.
On Saturday, heavy fighting broke out at the state television building
and explosions
were heard earlier in the day near the Interior Ministry in the northern part
of Sanaa.
The Shia fighters shelled the state television
building on Friday as they advanced into the city.
Khaled Hammadi, a journalist based in Sanaa, told Al Jazeera that
heavy smoke was hanging over the area of the state TV building on Saturday.
"Fighting is expanding hour by hour and the Houthi rebel fighters
are advancing into neighbourhoods near important areas," he said.
Meanwhile, reports from Sanaa said the Yemeni army was commencing a
counterattack on the Houthis with back-up from the Republican Guard unit.
Hakim al-Masmari, the editor-in-chief of the Yemen Post, told Al Jazeera
that Saturday's clashes have been the fiercest since fighting began on
Thursday. He said that dozens of Houthi fighters were killed in Sanaa in the
latest round of fighting.
He added that there could be a truce between the warring sides later
in the day.
At least a 123 fighters have been killed over the past three days,
according to a tally by the Associated Press news agency.
Thousands of Houthis have been staging protests in Sanaa for more than
a month now, besieging ministries and blocking the road to the main airport.
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Clashes in Sanaa kill dozens
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Fighting in Sanaa had become so intense that by Friday international
airlines suspended flights in and out of the nearby airport.
The UN has failed to mediate a peace deal between the warring sides.
Jamal Benomar, the UN envoy to Yemen, left the northern city of
Saada on Friday after trying to mediate a deal that could pave the way for a
new government and more political representation for the Houthis.
Clashes have raged on the outskirts of Sanaa for days, with dozens of
deaths reported.
Earlier, Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from
Sanaa, said the country "is just a few hours" from plunging
into a civil war as the capital is divided along sectarian lines, with one
half run by Sunnis and the other by Houthis".
"The Houthis have control over most of the north of the country -
from Saada to the gates of Sanaa," he said.
"They have thousands of fighters and some military commanders and
members of the former regime with them. And if in the coming hours they
decide to control Sanaa, they can definitely control the capital.
"If the Sunnis decide to join the fight against the Houthis, it's
definitely going to be civil war in the country [...] It's either peace or
war."
The Houthis are a Zaidi Shia group whose traditional power base is in
the north. They are demanding a
new government
and also more political power for their community.
The government's plans for a six-region federation in Yemen has been
rejected by both the Houthis and the southern separatists.
ANALYSIS FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT
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Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra
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The UN was trying to mediate a deal which included the Houthis' demands
for the formation a new government of technocrats, a reduction in fuel prices and more political
representation. In exchange, the Houthis would pull out of Sanaa and
put an end to their civil disobedience campaign.
President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi faces a tough choice: he is from the
south and northern Yemen is not his power base. The army’s top military
commanders are Shias and he is worried they might defy his orders if he calls
for war.
On the other hand, there is a growing frustration among the Sunnis.
They say Hadi is weak, and that under his tenure more territory was lost to
the Houthis. If the Houthis take control of Sanaa, Sunni tribes might call
for his resignation.
And if fighting breaks out in Sanaa, a city divided along sectarian
lines and armed to the teeth, it might be the worst on the Arabian Peninsula
in modern history.
Explaining
Yemen's political-military groups:
Houthis - Shia group also known as Ansarullah, or Partisans of God, who have
been at war with the government since 2004. They demand resignation of
government, more political inclusion and access to the sea. Strongholds
include Saada, al-Jawf and the Jeraf district inside Sanaa.
Al-Islah (Reform) - Sunni Islamist party that draws support and membership from heavily
armed Sunni tribesmen, and is instrumental in rallying support behind the
army and the government. Present in almost all of Yemen. The Houthis have
identified the party as its arch-enemy.
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula - A merger of the Yemeni and Saudi branches of
al-Qaeda. Seized large swathes of territory in the south and the southeast
after the uprising in 2011. Launched many attacks on armed forces and central
authority establishments. Its power bases are Shabwah, Abyan and
Hadramawt.
The Southern Separatist Movement - Umbrella group that wants the south to break
away from the north and reinstate the former Socialist state that existed
until 1990. Led by Ali al-Beidh.
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