Egypt concerned over escalating Yemeni crisis

By Hussein Mahmoud Ragab

CAIRO (AA) – Egypt expressed deep concern over the possible escalation of tensions following the killing of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Monday by Houthi rebels.

“These developments are another reflection of the gravity of the crisis experienced by Yemen in recent years,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid said in a statement.

He called for a political solution to end the crisis.

Saleh who had until recently been considered an ally of the Houthis -- was killed by Houthi militiamen near the capital, Sanaa, according to Houthi spokesmen and a leading member of Saleh’s General People's Congress (GPC) party.

The GPC member, who insisted on anonymity due to the issue’s sensitivity, told Anadolu Agency that Houthi militants had shot Saleh dead after stopping the former president’s car.

Yemen has remained dogged by violence since 2014, when the Houthis and Saleh loyalists overran much of the country, including the capital.

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.