Sunni and Shi`ite militants in northern Yemen have agreed to a ceasefire after days of clashes that left at least 100 dead, a United Nations envoy said Monday.
The fighting, which began Wednesday, raised new concerns in the highly volatile country that is home to one of al-Qaeda’s most active wings, Reuters reports. Ambassadors of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and the Gulf Cooperation Council issued a joint statement calling for an end to the fighting.
The sectarian violence sprung from a rivalry between the Shi`ite Houthis group and the Sunni Salafists, who the former accuse of recruiting foreigners to come fight for them. The Salafists say the foreigners are students coming to study at a regional Islamic theology academy.
A Salafi spokesperson said at least 100 members of the group were killed, while the Houthis have not released casualty numbers. The spokesperson said a translator with a Red Cross delegation was also killed.
[Reuters]