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                   Yemen Rebels Accept Saudi Cease-Fire Plan

   by VOA News

   Houthi fighters in Yemen say they have accepted a five-day humanitarian
   cease-fire proposal from Saudi Arabia set to begin Tuesday.

   Sunday's announcement of the acceptance of the cease-fire came just
   hours after warplanes from the Saudi-led coalition bombed the residence
   of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh in the capital, Sana'a. Saleh
   was not believed to have been at home at the time of the airstrikes.

   Last week, the United States and Saudi Arabia announced a Tuesday start
   date for a five-day humanitarian pause in Yemen, where the Saudi-led
   coalition is waging an air campaign against advancing Houthi rebels.
   The conflict has left thousands of people in Yemen in need of basic
   supplies.

   U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had urged the entities that support
   the Houthis to encourage the rebels to accept the pause. The Shi'ite
   rebels are allied with Saleh and are widely believed to be backed by
   Iran.

   On Saturday, airstrikes from Saudi-led coalition warplanes pummeled the
   northwestern Yemeni province of Saada, while elsewhere coalition
   airstrikes hit the capital's international airport on the 45th day of
   fighting against the Houthi rebels.

   Kerry said the terms of the cease-fire are very straightforward.

   "Don't shoot. Don't move around and start to reposition and take
   advantage of this," said Kerry. "This is a humanitarian pause and they
   should treat it accordingly," he added.

   Word of the plan came the same day that Saudi state media reports said
   the Saudi-led coalition had given residents of Saada - a northern town
   near the Saudi border - an ultimatum to leave the area.  The coalition
   declared the Houthi rebel stronghold a "military target."
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/yemen/2761815.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/yemen/2761815.html