Houthis Ready to Hand Over Body of Ex-Yemen President Saleh to Family - Official

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Yemen’s Houthi rebels are ready to give the body of former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh to his family if they are requested to, Houthi politburo member Halima Jahaf told Sputnik on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, media reports emerged that Houthis had only agreed to give Saleh’s body to his family if he were given a small funeral.

“There have been no statements regarding the refusal to hand over his body. This is a new issue. Maybe his relatives will ask for his body and it will be done. We have no conditions,” Jahaf said.

Saleh was killed by a bullet to the head in a settlement near Sanaa, while attempting to flee from the capital to the country's Marib province during violent clashes between his supporters and the Houthi rebels.

READ MORE: Unverified Graphic Footage Allegedly Shows Corpse of Yemen's Ex-President Saleh

The attack took place following a six-day fight in Yemen's capital between Houthi rebels and forces supporting ex-President Saleh. The intra-rebel clashes broke out after Saleh's announcement that he was ready to turn a "new page" in relations with the Saudi-led coalition which was dubbed "deception" by the Houthis, who were in alliance with the former President.

Saleh had allied with the Houthi rebels throughout the Yemeni Civil War and fought against the Saudi-backed forces of President Hadi ousted in 2015.