Yemen has drifted deeper into political limbo after President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi resigned in exasperation at a Houthi rebel takeover of the country.
His resignation startled the Arabian Peninsula country of 25 million, where the Houthis emerged as the dominant faction by seizing Sanaa in September.
Hadi, a former general, blamed the Houthis' control of the capital Sanaa for impeding his attempt to steer Yemen toward stability after years of turmoil and tribal unrest, deepening poverty and U.S. drone strikes on Islamist militants.
19 Jan 2015 . Sanaa, Yemen. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
Houthi fighters take up position on a street during clashes near the Presidential Palace.
Some Houthi officials have welcomed Hadi's resignation but the Shi'ite Muslim rebel group said an official position had yet to be taken. It urged the army to uphold its responsibilities and called on Houthi fighters to be on alert.
Witness said Houthi fighters were seen surrounding the homes of a number of senior officials from Bahah's government, including the defence minister, in Sanaa.
22 Jan 2015 . Sanaa, Yemen. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
A Houthi fighter (left) stops a member of the presidential guard wearing civilian clothes from entering the presidential palace.
A few days earlier, Houthi fighters stormed the presidential compound and defeated government forces
The fighters, accompanied by an armoured vehicle, had replaced the guards at the president's residence. Presidential guard sentry posts were initially empty, however a few guards later appeared and were permitted to take up positions.
23 Jan 2015 . Sanaa, Yemen. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
The banners read: "Allah is the greatest. Death to America, death to Israel, a curse on the Jews, victory to Islam".
As the crisis deepened thousands of protestors, seen above, gathered in central Sanaa with placards calling for "Death to America, Death to Israel,” a slogan that has become a trademark of the Shi'ite Muslim Houthi group.
“Hadi should have resigned a long time ago," Al Sheikh Moghadal Al Wazeer, an elderly Houthi supporter said. "He should have done more and he should have run the country with more strength."
Earlier in the day, a small group of pro-democracy activists chanted "we are the revolution" as they converged on Change Square, the focus of 2011 protests which forced long-ruling President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down under a Gulf power transfer deal.