Opposition calls for 'absurd' war in Yemen to end

Sana'a: Yemen's three main opposition parties called on Tuesday for an immediate end to the ongoing war between government troops and rebels in the Sa'ada province, north of the country.

"This absurd war must stop, and the official ban on its news and happenings must be lifted, the issue of Sada'a should be peacefully solved," said a statement issued by the supreme council of the political alliance of opposition Islamists, Socialists, and Nasserites.

The alliance is locally known as the Joint Meeting parties (JMPs). The JMPs statement said the war was only a manifestation of "the national crisis."

"The JMPs are very sad over the tragic war in the Sa'ada province which has become more violent and expanded to new areas such as Harf Sufyan in the Amrasn province and Bani Hushiash in the Sana'a province," said the statement in reference to clashes with Al Houhti supporters outside Sa'ada over the past few days.

The parties said the renewal of the war was due to "accumulative mistakes" by the government in dealing with issues outside the constitution and laws.

Meanwhile, the presidential committee in charge of supervising a Qatari-brokered deal to end the armed rebellion, has come back to Sana'a after it failed to make any progress in volatile Sa'ada.

Official sources said yesterday the committee will hold a press conference to explain "the intransigent position of the Al Houthi rebels towards the implementation of the Doha agreement."

"A lot of violations and criminal acts were carried out by the Al Houthi rebels while the presidential committee and Qatari mediation were there," the source said.