MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Four journalists from the Yemen Today broadcaster, held hostage for almost two weeks by the Houthi rebels, have died, Yemeni Minister of Information Moammar Eryani said Tuesday, while not naming those deceased.
"Today, the Houthis have transported the Yemen Today journalists held hostage to an unknown place. I do not exclude that it may be preparation for their execution," the minister wrote.
1/3Very Important & urgent:
— معمر الإرياني (@ERYANIM) 12 декабря 2017 г.
Reliable and Confirmed news on martydrom of four journalists out of those who were injured when Houthi militias stormed Yemen today channel headquarters in Sanaa.After they’ve been injured, militias kept them bleeding with out giving them medical help
Eryani has called on the trade union of Arab journalists and other international organizations, as well as the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, to intervene in the situation and put pressure on the Houthis to release the hostages.
READ MORE: Houthis Deny Yemeni Ex-President's Burial Amid Ongoing Investigation
Earlier this month, two separate sources said that a Sputnik freelance correspondent in Yemen was being held captive by Houthi rebels along with 40 others in the building of Yemen Today's broadcasting station in Sanaa which belonged to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
On December 11, the correspondent's wife told Sputnik that he has not made contact for almost a week.
Clashes in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa erupted in late November between former allies — the Houthis and supporters of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh after the latter announced that he was ready to turn "a new page" in relations with the Saudi-led coalition, which had been fighting the Shiite movement since 2015 at the request of President Hadi, in a move called "deceitful" by the Shiite movement.
