Yemen rejects Iran meddling in conflict

Tehran: Iran said on Wednesday it is ready to cooperate with the government of Yemen to restore security there, even as a military cooperation agreement was reached between Yemen and the US aimed at shoring up defences in Yemen.

The US and Yemen concluded the accord on US military training for the Yemeni armed forces and security exchanges on Wednesday after two days of talks in the capital Sana'a, the official news agency Saba reported.

The Yemeni Chief of General Staff, Ahmad Ali Al Ashwal, said the aim is to end terrorism, trafficking and sea piracy off Yemen's coast, Saba reported.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki called for a "collective approach" to help restore peace and stability in Yemen, which is battling Al Houthi rebels in the north.

Cooperation

"Iran is prepared to cooperate with the government of Yemen and other nations in order to restore security" in Yemen, Mottaki told a news conference.

A day earlier Mottaki had told another news conference in Tehran that "countries of the region must seriously hold back from intervening in Yemen's internal affairs. Those who pour oil on the fire must know that they will not be spared from the smoke that billows," he said.

Mottaki's comments were seen as a barely veiled allusion to Saudi Arabia.

Yemen on Wednesday hit out at what it called Iranian "interference" .

"In response to the remarks of Mottaki, we affirm that Yemen categorically rejects any interference in its internal affairs by any party whatsoever," Saba quoted a foreign ministry spokesman as saying.

Saudi forces have been fighting Yemeni rebels on the border for more than a week. Saudi officials have acknowledged only air strikes inside Yemen, although the rebels say ground troops have been involved and some have been captured.

Yemeni government forces launched Operation Scorched Earth against the Zaidi rebels in the north on August 11 and the conflict widened last week when Saudi Arabia entered the fray.

Saudi Arabia is trying to set up a military buffer zone inside Yemen after its offensive against the rebels, an Al Houthi spokesman said.

Mohammad Abdul Salam said Saudi warplanes and artillery have been shelling deep into border areas to create the zone and drive the rebels away.

Fighting Al Qaida-style

Yemen's Al Houthi rebels are mainly following the "cave warfare" tactics of Al Qaida in their current confrontation with Saudi armed forces.

Speaking to Gulf News, a Saudi security source revealed that the kingdom's army is now concentrating largely on a "war of caves" in the mountainous border regions after discovering that many rebels took shelter in caves in the rugged mountains stretching across the border.

Meanwhile, Prince Mohammad Bin Nasser, governor of Jizan, told Gulf News that all the families affected by the ongoing military operation against the infiltrators will be given compensation.

"An amount of 1,000 Saudi riyals (Dh980) will be paid to each house owner per week. The mother and children will also get 1,000 and 200 riyals respectively," he said.

Input from Abdul Rahman Shaheen, Correspondent