Agencies 01/02/2010

Yemen yesterday said it would stop its war on Shia northern rebels only if they agree to a six-point truce offer, including a pledge not to attack Saudi Arabia, as fighting raged on three fronts.

The offer came amid government claims that another 24 Houthi rebels were killed.

“If the Houthi (rebels) agree to start implementing the six points ... the government does not see a problem in stopping military operations,” Yemen’s Supreme National Defence Council announced.

The rebels’ truce offer on Saturday was rejected, a government official said, “because it does not include a sixth point, which demands a pledge from the Houthis not to attack Saudi territory.”

Of the six points, the defence council stressed that the rebels should “pledge not to attack Saudi territory and to hand over Yemeni and Saudi captives without any delay.”

Reel leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi had offered in an audio message released on the Internet on Saturday to accept the government’s “five” conditions to end the war, but demanded a halt to military attacks as a precondition.

“I announce our acceptance of the (government’s) five points, after the aggression stops,” he said. “The ball is now in the other party’s court.”

Initially, the government had set five conditions to end the war. The pledge to end attacks against neighbouring Saudi Arabia was apparently added after the rebels locked horns with Riyadh.

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