Al Mukalla: Yemen’s government delegation participating in the current peace talks in Kuwait has rejected a fresh proposal by Al Houthis and their allies to pull out of the capital in exchange for resignation of Yemeni president Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, a government official privy to the discussions told Gulf News on Thursday.

Iran-backed Al Houthi militants have also called for the formation of a unity government as a precursor to the implementation of UN Resolution 2216, which calls for their disarmament and withdrawal from occupied territory.

The government delegation has continuously rejected this demand, seeing it as a ploy to derail the UN resolution altogether.

“Al Houthis want Hadi to return to the capital for a short time and then hand over power to a new prime minister,” the government official said on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions.

The current round of peace talks began in April. They aim to end more than a year of war between the internationally recognised Yemeni government of Hadi and Al Houthi militants who took over the country in a coup with the support of loyalists to oust president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The talks have been stalled repeatedly due to the lack of Al Houthis’ seriousness, according to government delegation officials.

“We rejected their proposal and insist on President Hadi’s legitimacy,” the official said.

Although Al Houthis say they will pull out of the capital, they plan to keep their forces in strategic locations surrounding the capital, according to the official.

“This ensures they could always sweep back in and overthrow the president as they did in September 2014,” the official said.

They are also demanding half the seats in the cabinet of a unity government.

“Given the current stances, the talks are unlikely to produce a united roadmap to end the conflict,” the official said.

The gaps are still very big, according to UN Envoy Esmail Ould Shaikh Ahmad, who has been mediating the talks.

On the ground, fierce fighting between government and Al Houthi forces in the Qabeta region of the southern province of Lajeh were reported.

Government forces successfully repelled an Al Houthi attack on strategic mountains near Al Anad military base.

In Taiz, residents told Gulf News that six civilians had been killed by Al Houthi snipers and mortar shells.