TOKYO, February 16 (Sputnik) – Japan is suspending embassy operations in Sanaa, Yemen after Shia Houthi rebels took power in the country, the country's Foreign Ministry announced Monday in a statement.
"Yemen Embassy of Japan… is to be closed due to the fact that Yemen domestic security is deteriorating," the statement says.
On February 6, Houthi rebels dissolved the Yemeni parliament in the capital Sanaa and established a presidential council in a "constitutional declaration."
Last week, Spain and United Arab Emirates closed their embassies in Sanaa due to the deteriorating security situation in Yemen.
France, Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany and the United States shut down their embassies in Yemen earlier this month.
The Houthis are the main opposition group in Yemen. The rebels staged massive protests in August against what they saw as tribal injustice by the Yemeni government, demanding resignation of the president.
Following months of clashes across Sanaa, the group captured the presidential palace and government buildings, leading to the resignations of Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi and the country's government in January.
