Houthi Rebels Oust Guards at Yemeni President’s Residence in Sanaa

Presidential guards were forced to leave the residence after two days of fierce fighting. Some of them said they were betrayed by their superiors. Houthi rebels are now guarding the residence.

SANAA, January 21 (Sputnik) — Rebel Houthi fighters are standing guard at President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi's home in Sanaa after the presidential guards were driven away by gunmen, a Sputnik news agency correspondent said Wednesday.

The majority of the presidential guards have been forced to leave the president's residence after two days of fierce fighting, the Sputnik correspondent at the scene said.

The guards were seen walking away with their belongings and personal weapons. The men said they had been "betrayed" by their superiors. Houthi militants were posted at the entrance shortly afterwards.

President Hadi's whereabouts remains unknown, with media reports saying the president is believed to have been meeting advisors, including Houthi minority representatives, at home shortly before the siege.

Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the Houthi opposition in Yemen, warned Hadi in a televised address on Tuesday that militants would take measures unless the president initiates constitutional changes.

#Houthi rebels now guarding Yemen presidential palace http://t.co/bvPN2hgRU5 pic.twitter.com/TpBhLLbCNc

— RT (@RT_com) 21 января 2015

Last year, the group staged major protests and occupied a number of Yemeni cities, demanding the government’s resignation. Last September, the Houthi insurgency spread to the capital.

#Yemen: Sanaa city conflict map (January 2015) by @Bafana_Advisory pic.twitter.com/cgCwGUvK9Q

— Haykal Bafana (@BaFana3) 21 января 2015