Houthis control gov't, army headquarters, as Yemen's PM quits

SANAA, Sept 21 (KUNA) -- Houthi militants on Saturday seized the headquarters of the Yemeni government, the Army General Command and the official TV building in the center of the capital Sanaa, as the Prime Minister Mohammed Basindawa resigned.
Member of the political council of the Ansar Allah Ali Al-Bekhiti, said that their fighters had spread in the vicinity of the government and the TV headquarters and controlled them amid no resistance from the army troops guarding both.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mohammed Salem Bassindwa today announced his resignation, saying he wanted to give a chance for an agreement between President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and the Houthi Ansar Allah group.
He added in a statement that his resignation would pave the way for forming a technocrat government that could drag the country out of the current crisis.
This coincided with the Houthis' seizing control of the command of the First Armored Division in central Sanaa following fierce fighting for 24 hours. Houthi sources said they had handed the premises over to the presidential protection forces. Houthis had also seized control of all the offices of the Islah Party (Yemeni Congregation for Reform) in northern Sanaa. They also evacuated a hospital of some Islah leaders of staff and patients.
Houthis also controlled the premises of the Fourth Reserves Brigade in Sanaa as well as the Army General Staff Headquarters, with no fighting as guards surrendered with no fighting.
In the meantime, UN envoy to Yemen Jamal Binomar and leaders of the political parties are waiting for the Houthis representatives to arrive to sign an agreement in a bid to end the crisis.
Binomar announced Saturday evening that his mediation efforts led to an agreement between the Yemeni government and the opposition groups based on the outcomes of the national dialogue. (end) az.msa