Houthis storm university and capture key city in Yemen
On Wednesday Houthis stormed a university in the capital city Sanaa and also took control of central city Radmah
Armed Yemenis loyal to the Houthis shout slogans during a tribal gathering against al-Qaeda militants in August (AFP)
Published date: 13 February 2015 03:15 GMT
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Last update: 9 years 3 months ago
A government university in Yemen's capital city Sanaa was stormed by Shiite Houthi militant rebels on Wednesday, according to a university source speaking to Anadlou Agency.
"Houthi militants in two vehicles forced their way into Dhamar University in southern Sanaa," the source said.
According to the source, the militants cited "university corruption" as their reason for staging the attack.
Houthi leaders could not be reached for comment.
Shiite rebels also seized a city in central Yemen on Wednesday that is seen as a strategic link to the south, further widening their territory following deadly clashes with tribesmen, security and tribal sources said.
The Houthis took control of Radmah - located on a road linking the capital Sanaa with the main southern city Aden - on Wednesday after 24 hours of fighting against local tribesmen, a security official told AFP.
Radmah is part of Ibb province, where the rebels have been locked in deadly battles with mostly-Sunni tribesmen this month.
The Houthis have controlled the capital Sanaa since 21 September, when they signed an agreement with Yemen's presidency aimed at ending the country's ongoing political stalemate.
Since then, the Houthis have sought to extend their control to other parts of the country.
The Houthis easily overran the capital in September before moving on to the Red Sea port city of Hudeida as well as Shiite-populated Dhamar and the provincial capital of Ibb.
Yemen has been sliding into turmoil since an Arab Spring-inspired uprising ousted strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh in 2012, with armed rivals including the Houthi Shiite rebels and Al-Qaeda battling each other.
Some Arab capitals accuse Shiite Iran of backing Yemen's ongoing Houthi insurgency.
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