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Death of former Yemeni president confirmed, his son reportedly captured by rebels

The Ansar Allah movement claims to have regained control of the Yemeni capital after an attack carried out by Saleh’s supporters

Former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh AP Photo/Hani Mohammed

Former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh

© AP Photo/Hani Mohammed

CAIRO, December 4. /TASS/. Yemen’s General People’s Congress (GPC) party, founded by the country’s former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, has confirmed the death of its leader, the Al Arabiya TV channel reported on Monday.

According to Al Arabiya, the GPC sources said that "Ali Abdullah Saleh was killed during clashes with the Houthis in the country’s capital of Sana’a." The sources also say that Saleh did not die in an explosion but was shot by a sniper.

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Former president of Yemen killed while trying to leave country — reports

Earlier on Monday, Al Arabia reported violent clashes on the southern outskirts of the Yemeni capital, where the former president’s house is located.

Clashes between Saleh’s supporters and the Houthis, involving large-caliber machine guns, grenade launchers and artillery guns, have been going on in Sana’a since Wednesday. Around 250 people from both sides are reported to have been killed.

Meanwhile, Ali Abdullah Saleh’s son Khaled has been reported wounded and captured by the Houthi rebels from the Ansar Allah movement, Al Mayadeen said. According to the TV channel, the former president of Yemen managed to leave Sana’a with the air support of the Saudi-led coalition. His convoy reached the outskirts of the city of Marib (170 kilometers from Sana’a) when it was attacked by rebels. Al Mayadeed showed photos of the dead politician with a fatal wound to the head.

The Ansar Allah movement claims to have regained control of the Yemeni capital after an attack carried out by Saleh’s supporters.

According to Al Mayadeen, the Houthi-controlled Interior Ministry has issued a statement saying that there was a plot to ignite feuds in Sana’s. "The crisis has been brought to an end, the leader of the plotters [Saleh] has been killed while trying to leave the city," the statement reads.

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