Sana’a: Flights to the Yemeni capital were suspended for a second day straight on Saturday as the toll mounted from clashes between pro-government forces and rebels despite UN efforts to reach a ceasefire.
Forces allied to the government have been battling to halt Al Houthi rebels who have swept into Sana’a from their stronghold in the rugged northwestern mountains.
Yemen has been wracked by political turmoil since the 2012 ouster of president Ali Abdullah Saleh, with Al Qaida attacks on security forces further adding to pressure on the government.
“The suspension of the flights of Arab and foreign countries is continuing,” an airport source said, while residents of areas near the airport said that air traffic had virtually ceased.
The Civil Aviation Authority said on Friday international carriers had decided to suspend flights to Sana’a for 24 hours.
The only aircraft to touch down since then was a military plane bringing UN envoy Jamal Benomar back from the rebel stronghold of Saada.
Benomar spent three days in the northern city trying to negotiate a ceasefire with rebel chief Abdul Malek Al Houthi.
The rebels, who have been camped north of Sana’a for weeks, hail from the Zaidi community, a minority in the mostly Sunni nation who are believed to be trying to establish themselves as the main political force in the region.
Also known as Ansarullah, they have battled the government for years from their heartland of Saada, complaining of marginalisation.
Benomar did not reach agreement with Al Houthi but said the two sides were making progress.
“I have tried to narrow the gap between the two parties and we’ve agreed on a number of points that can serve as the basis of an accord,” Benomar told reporters.
The envoy and Yemeni authorities gave no indication of when ceasefire talks might resume.
President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi called the rebel offensive a “coup attempt” as he received ambassadors from the countries that helped to foster the political agreement that ended Saleh’s rule.
Yemeni media outlets said on Saturday that he saw proof of this in the targeting of the headquarters of the state broadcaster, which was forced to interrupt its broadcasting for one hour on Friday.
Clashes raged between the two sides in northern Sana’a on Saturday morning. Medics said three civilians were killed in the bombardment of the main road in the area, near the Iman University that rebels tried to seize from fighters of the Sunni Islah (Reform) party.
A hospital in the area was also hit by shellfire, leaving one person dead and three wounded, a hospital worker said.
Another 18 civilians have been killed in the area during three days of clashes, a toll from hospital sources said, and residents were sheltering in their homes on Saturday.
The rest of the city was also quiet, with many businesses closed and little traffic on the roads.
Rebels fired several shells at the former headquarters of the first armoured division, sending plumes of smoke into the sky.
And the nearby Sana’a University told students to stay on vacation until mid-October after its campus was also hit by artillery.
One of the capital’s main markets, the Ali Mohsin Souk, has been closed for three days, which residents said has started to cause problems in obtaining fruit and vegetables.
Hadi has already agreed to involve the rebels in the formation of a new government to replace the unpopular administration that imposed austerity measures, including a fuel price hike, earlier this year.
But the rebels are also demanding posts in key state institutions.
