Sanaa: As Houthi rebels continue to advance after having forced the President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi to flee to Aden, Yemen's Foreign Minister Riyadh Yassin has issued a call to Gulf Arab states to intervene, reports said Tuesday.
In comments made to Saudi-owned Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, Yemeni foreign minister also spoke of a request to the UN and the Gulf Cooperation Council for a no-fly zone to be imposed.
The no-fly zone request comes after warplanes were said to have hit the presidential palace in Aden over the weekend.
The Yemeni government's call for military intervention by the Gulf comes as the UN has warned that the country is on the edge of a civil war.
Houthi rebels supported by some units of the Army continue to move southwards towards both Lahj and Aden after having taken control of the third largest city of Taiz recently.
“Events of recent weeks and days seem to be leading Yemen further away from a peaceful settlement and towards the edge of civil war,” said UN envoy to Yemen Jamal Benomar.
The UN envoy expressed serious concerns about a deepening north-south divide in the country that could be exploited by the al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
“There is a prevailing sense amongst Yemenis that the situation is on a rapid downward spiral. Many are also concerned that the conflict is taking on worrying sectarian tones and deepening North-South divisions. Fears exist that will exploit the current instability to cause further chaos,” UN envoy to Yemen Jamal Benomar added in a statement.
