Clashes in Yemen’s Sanaa leave 234 dead: Red Cross

SANAA

At least 234 people have been killed in Sanaa over the past four days in clashes between Shia Houthi rebels and forces loyal to slain former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was killed Monday, an International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) official said Tuesday.

The ICRC also recorded more than 400 injuries during the clashes, which first erupted in Sanaa over the weekend between the Houthis and pro-Saleh forces, Adnan Hazam, the ICRC’s spokesman in Yemen, told Anadolu Agency.

"Cautious calm now prevails in parts of the capital that saw violent confrontations in recent days," he added.

Hazam went on to urge all parties to the conflict to avoid harming civilians and to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to suffering Yemenis.

"Yemen can’t afford any more suffering," he added.

On Monday, Houthi militiamen executed Saleh -- who had until recently been considered one of the group’s primary allies -- after waylaying his motorcade outside the capital.

Yemen has remained dogged by violence since 2014, when the Houthis -- fighting alongside Saleh loyalists -- overran much of the country, including Sanaa.

The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi gains in Yemen.

Reporting by Mohamed al-Samei:Writing by Ali H. M.Abo Rezeg