Yemen rebel leader renews defiance on takeover anniversary

CAIRO – The leader of Yemen’s Shiite rebels has lashed out with a defiant speech on the eve of the third anniversary of the day his forces stormed into the capital.

In a speech aired on the rebel-run al-Masirah TV on Wednesday, Abdel-Malek al-Houthi slammed the Saudi-led coalition opposing his forces, who control large swaths of territory and took Sanaa on what they consider the “Sept. 21 revolution.”

Al-Houthi accused the U.S., Saudi Arabia and the UAE of seeking to divide Yemen by working with local groups and the internationally recognized government to seize control of Houthi territory.

The Saudi-led coalition has since 2015 waged a blistering air campaign against the Houthis and their allies, while enforcing an air and sea blockade of Yemen. Thousands of civilians have been killed in fighting.