Yemen says Houthi rebels violating truce deal

Yemen accused northern rebels on Tuesday of violating a ceasefire deal with Sanaa aimed at a war that drew in neighboring top oil exporter Saudi Arabia.

"The (rebels) returned again to some sites after leaving, established new checkpoints, and committed numerous violations and attacks on citizens and some public and private installations," Yemen's supreme security committee said, according to state news agency Saba.

Analysts say the six-point truce February agreement between the government and rebels, who belong to the minority Zaydi sect, is unlikely to last as it does not address the insurgents' complaints of discrimination by Sanaa.

The security body also said the rebels were obstructing the work of committees charged with overseeing the implementation of the ceasefire deal, according to Saba.

On their website, the rebels, known as the Houthis after the family name of their leader, said military units and local officials had entered unhindered a number of northern areas on Monday, including Malahith, Razih and al-Zaher.

"These steps come as we confirm that we do not interfere with matters of the local authorities, and that we have never done so, and never will," rebels said in a statement posted late on Monday.

Yemen shot to the forefront of Western security concerns after the Yemeni arm of al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for a failed attempt to bomb a U.S.-bound plane in December.

The impoverished Arab country is also struggling with flaring tensions in its south, where violence between southern secessionists and government troops has escalated in recent weeks.

Western governments and neighboring Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, fear al-Qaeda is exploiting instability in Yemen to recruit and train militants to launch attacks in the region and beyond.

Saudi Arabia was drawn into Sanaa's conflict with northern rebels in November after the insurgents seized Saudi border territory and accused Riyadh of letting Yemeni troops attack them from Saudi ground.

The (rebels) returned again to some sites after leaving, established new checkpoints, and committed numerous violations and attacks on citizens and some public and private installations

Yemen supreme security committee