Soldiers loyal to Yemens president fought off Houthi rebels early Monday. Militia and security officials said the rebels had been sent toward the southern city of Aden where President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi had taken refuge.
The majority of Yemenis are Sunni Muslims. The Houthis are Shiites, and get support from Iran. The rebels had agreed to share power with President Hadi after they seized the capital, Sanaa, last September.
Speaking from Aden, Yemens Foreign Minister Riyadh Yasin asked the Gulf Cooperation Council for help with troops to control the Houthis expansion.
Meanwhile, the British government withdrew the last of its special forces from Yemen, according to Reuters. This came after the U.S. pulled out all remaining personnel over the weekend.
The U.S. State Department said in a statement that the relocation was due to the deteriorating security situation in Yemen.
