Yemen fears further violence: Both the president and rebels issue calls to arms

More violence is feared in Yemen as the country reels from a spate of suicide bombings.

In his first public speech since escaping house arrest and fleeing Sana’a last month, President Abed Rabbo Monsour Hadi accused the Shi’ite rebels ruling the capital of staging a coup against him.

He made a call to arms from the southern city of Aden, which he named the new temporary capital of Yemen:

“We are calling on the militants to pull out from all the ministries and government institutes. And also, to pull out of the capital Sana’a and other Yemeni cities,” he announced.

Known as Houthis, the Iranian-allied Shi’ite militia responded with its own call to arms to fight against troops loyal to the president.

Yemen is becoming increasingly more chaotic. Military and security officials say al-Qaeda militants have seized a southern city close to a US airbase near al-Houti, leading to the evacuation of troops stationed there.