Foreign

Yemen Houthis detain US citizen in capital Sanaa

September 25, 2017

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Mideast Yemen — A Houthi Shiite rebel holds a weapon while on patrol following dawn prayers attended by supporters of the rebels on the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, or Feast of the Sacrifice, in Sanaa, Yemen, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014. Muslims around the world celebrated Saturday to commemorate the willingness of the prophet Ibrahim - or Abraham as he is known in the Bible - to sacrifice his son in accordance with God's will, though in the end God provides him a sheep to sacrifice instead. Muslims slaughter sheep, cattle, and other livestock, and give part of the meat to the poor. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

Yemen’s Houthi forces have detained a US citizen in the capital Sanaa, two local sources said on Monday, adding it was unclear why he was being held.

The Iran-aligned Houthis control much of northern Yemen, including Sanaa, and are battling a Saudi-led coalition that is trying to restore the internationally recognised government.

The US national works for the Yemeni oil company Safer and was detained after taking his children to school, two of his colleagues said, adding that he was married to a Yemeni woman and had lived in Yemen for many years.

The US Embassy to Yemen was unable to confirm or deny the report. The Houthi movement did not respond to a request for comment and the Safer oil company was also not immediately available for comment.

More than 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen’s civil war, which began in March 2015 when the Houthis advanced on the interim headquarters of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi in the southern port city of Aden, forcing him to flee the country and seek Saudi help.