Yemen rejects Shiite peace offer

The Yemeni government has rejected an offer of a truce by northern Shiite rebels, stressing that it should also include a pledge not to attack neighbouring Saudi Arabia, a government official said. The announcement came as military officials said fighting between rebels and government forces was raging across three fronts in the north of the country and that another 24 Huthis had been killed in battles.

"The government rejects the (rebel leader Abdul Malak) al-Huthi's initiative to accept the five points of the government terms (for peace), because it does not include a sixth point, which demands a pledge from the Huthis not to attack Saudi territory," the government official said. Initially the government had set five conditions to end the war. But the sixth condition concerning the pledge to end attacks against neighbouring Saudi Arabia was apparently added after the rebels locked horns with Riyadh.

The five conditions include the rebels' withdrawal from official buildings, the reopening of roads in the north, the return of weapons seized from security services, the release of all military and civilian prisoners, including Saudis, as well as the abandoning of military posts in the mountains. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also rejected Huthi's demand for a halt to attacks by the army as a precondition for the end of fighting.

"Huthi's condition of ending the fighting from the government side is rejected until the Huthis themselves agree to implement the six points," he said. The leader of the Shiite rebels said on Saturday that he will accept government's conditions to end the war if attacks against them cease. *AFP