SANAA, October 17 (RIA Novosti) - Houthi rebels have seized the city of Radaa in the al-Bayda governorate, Yemen meeting no resistance, eyewitnesses told RIA Novosti on Friday.
According to the eyewitnesses, a local tribal leader acted as a mediator in stopping the bloodshed between the houthis and the al-Islah opposition movement. An agreement has been reached, allowing the houthis to enter the city.
Late on Thursday, 13 houthis were killed by al-Qaeda militants, who prevented the group from entering Radaa.
The Houthis, or the Ansarullah, are the main opposition force in Yemen. The Shiite group has been carrying out protests in the country since mid-August, demanding the resignation of the Yemeni government, which they say is corrupt and marginalizes the Shiite community in the country.
Currently the insurgents have control over several regions of western Yemen. They have seized the cities of Hodeida, Dhamar, and significant parts of al-Jawf and Hajjah governorates as well as the administrative center of Ibb. The rebels also control the entrances into the Yemeni capital of Sanaa and continue their advance on the city of Taiz and several other cities.
