Houthi Rebels in Yemen Seize a Capital

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/15/world/middleeast/houthi-rebels-in-yemen-seize-a-capital.html

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AL MUKALLA, Yemen — Houthi rebel fighters seized the capital of a northwestern Yemeni province bordering Saudi Arabia early Sunday, tightening their control of the country despite a monthslong, Saudi-led bombing campaign intended to force a retreat.

The capture of the city, Hazm, capital of Jawf Province, highlighted the steady Houthi advance into most of Yemen’s 21 provinces over the past 10 months. In late March, Saudi Arabia and a coalition of Arab states began a military campaign against the Houthis with the goal of restoring President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who was forced into exile by the Houthis, to power.

Witnesses said that after the Houthi advance on Sunday, the Saudi-led coalition carried out airstrikes on Hazm that lasted several hours and struck civilian areas, killing at least 20 people.

The capture of the town appeared to give the Houthis another bargaining chip in United Nations-sponsored peace talks that are scheduled to begin Monday in Geneva. The capital, Sana, is already dominated by the Houthis, who are fighting for control of other major cities, including Aden and Taiz.

The Houthis, who are allied with military forces loyal to Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemen’s former president, have also been able to carry out a string of deadly attacks across the border in Saudi Arabia.