SWEIMEH,
Jordan — Ali Abdullah Saleh, the ousted strongman who once governed
Yemen and then conspired with Iranian-backed rebels to claw his way back
to power, was killed on Monday in the nation’s capital, Sana, according
to multiple reports from rival factions clashing there.
The death of Mr. Saleh is likely to add to escalating tensions between the two regional heavyweights, Saudi Arabia and Iran, who have clashed indirectly through the Yemeni fighting.
His
demise removes one of the wiliest and best-connected players in Yemeni
politics, further diminishing hopes of an imminent resolution to the catastrophic civil war
that has gripped Yemen for more than two years. It could easily kick
off new violence between his supporters and the Iran-allied Houthi
faction, which recently fought alongside Mr. Saleh and his supporters
but had previously fought against them.
The
reports of Mr. Saleh’s death, after an explosion at his family’s
compound, came just two days after he appeared to switch sides for the
second time between Saudi-allied and Iran-linked factions in Yemen. As
president, Mr. Saleh had been a close ally of both Saudi Arabia and the
United States, which considered him a partner in the fight against Al
Qaeda’s affiliate in Yemen and a bulwark against the influence of Iran
through its allies, the Houthi.
After he was removed from office in 2011
in a deal to end the Arab Spring uprising in Yemen, however, Mr. Saleh
struck an alliance with the Houthis. In 2015, forces loyal to him helped
the Houthis seize control of the capital and much of the country. In
retaliation, Saudi Arabia, backed by the United Arab Emirates and with
help from Washington, launched an air campaign and a blockade against the rebel group.
But
on Saturday, Mr. Saleh appeared to change teams once more. In a
televised speech, he blamed the “idiocy” of the Shiite Houthis for the
years of war in Yemen. He said he was ready to turn a “new page” in his
relationship with the Saudi-led coalition if its forces ceased attacking
Yemen.
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Which
side may have bombed Mr. Saleh’s house — Houthis angry at his betrayal
or the Saudi-led bombing campaign — and the exact circumstances
surrounding his death were not immediately clear. There were unconfirmed
reports that he had been killed while trying to flee the city.
The Interior Ministry, which is controlled by Houthi rebels,
reported that Mr. Saleh had been killed, and a video circulated online
that purported to show the former president’s body, although it could
not be independently verified.
Ali
al-Bukhaiti, a Yemeni politician who is well connected with Mr. Saleh’s
party, the General People’s Congress, also said the president had died.
“The news is 100 percent true,” he said.
Ahmad
al-Hawati, a resident of Sana, was told by relatives living near Mr.
Saleh’s complex that it had been bombed by rebels, and an official in
the General People’s Congress also said the complex, on a busy street,
had been bombed. The official declined to be identified by name because
he had not been authorized to speak to reporters.
Saleh
had been known for years as a shrewd and dogged survivor of Yemen’s
tangled, tribal politics. He once compared his years in office to
“dancing on the heads of snakes.”
In
the latest fighting, he was initially allied with the Houthis,
themselves loosely aligned with Iran, but the relationship became
fissured and he seemed to be tilting to the Saudis.
“I
call upon the brothers in neighboring states and the alliance to stop
their aggression, lift the siege, open the airports and allow food aid
and the saving of the wounded,” he said in the televised speech, “and we
will turn a new page by virtue of our neighborliness.”
The
Saudi-led coalition seemed to welcome his remarks. A statement on the
Saudi-owned news outlet Al Hadath said the coalition was “confident of
the will of the leaders and sons” of Mr. Saleh’s political party to
effect a rapprochement.
The
weekend maneuvering came as Mr. Saleh’s supporters fought Houthi
adversaries for a fourth day in Sana. At least 80 people were reported
killed as the fighting threatened to escalate.
On
Sunday, Houthi rebels said they had fired a cruise missile at a $20
billion nuclear facility under construction in Abu Dhabi, the United
Arab Emirates, which is allied with Saudi Arabia. But a state-run news
agency in the United Arab Emirates denied the assertion.
The
fighting in Yemen has been accompanied by signs of famine and outbreaks
of cholera as humanitarian conditions have sharply deteriorated.
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