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Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Are In Saudi Arabia for Peace Talks

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Funeral held for member of Houthi Ansarullah Movement in Sanaa
A member of Houthi Ansarullah movement stands guard during the funeral ceremony of Latif al Khahum, a member of Houthi Ansarullah Movement, at al-Jaraf neighbourhood in Sanaa, Yemen on Feb.18, 2016Anadolu Agency—Getty Images
By Mark Rivett-Carnac

Representatives from the northern Houthi rebel movement travelled into neighboring Saudi Arabia this week to conduct talks on ending Yemen’s war, Reuters reported citing two officials.

The meeting appears to be the most serious bid to end the conflict that ignited when the Houthis drove Yemen’s government from the capital, Sana’a, in Feb. 2015 triggering a Saudi-led military intervention a month later. Iran suggested Tuesday it may send military advisors to help the Houthis, underlining the ongoing regional rivalry between Tehran and Riyadh.

Past United Nations-sponsored talks have failed to resolve fighting that has killed about 6,000 people, half of them civilians, and plunged millions into severe humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by blockades and attacks on medical facilities.

[Reuters]

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Write to Mark Rivett-Carnac at mark.rivett-carnac@timeasia.com