A rebel takeover

A rebel takeover

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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.

. 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.

. 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.

. 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.

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Slideshow

Houthi fighters stand near a damaged guard post at a Presidential Guards barrack they took over, on a mountain overlooking the palace.
. Sanaa, Yemen. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

Houthi fighters stand near a damaged guard post at a Presidential Guards barrack they took over, on a mountain overlooking the palace.

A vehicle from the Presidential Protection Forces travels on a street near the Presidential Palace.
. Sanaa, Yemen. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

A vehicle from the Presidential Protection Forces travels on a street near the Presidential Palace.

Houthi fighters ride trucks at the entrance of a Presidential Guards barracks.
. Sanaa, Yemen. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

Houthi fighters ride trucks at the entrance of a Presidential Guards barracks.

Members of the Yemeni presidential guards, wearing civilian clothes, leave the presidential palace with their belongings.
. Sanaa, Yemen. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

Members of the Yemeni presidential guards, wearing civilian clothes, leave the presidential palace with their belongings.

A Houthi fighter stands atop an armoured vehicle, which was seized from the army during clashes, outside the house of Yemen's President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
. Sanaa, Yemen. REUTERS/Mohamed al-Sayaghi

A Houthi fighter stands atop an armoured vehicle, which was seized from the army during clashes, outside the house of Yemen's President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

Houthi fighters ride a truck near the Presidential Palace.
. Sanaa, Yemen. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

Houthi fighters ride a truck near the Presidential Palace.

A Houthi fighter mans a checkpoint.
. Sanaa, Yemen. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

A Houthi fighter mans a checkpoint.

Houthi fighters, wearing military uniform, ride a truck near the presidential palace.
. Sanaa, Yemen. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

Houthi fighters, wearing military uniform, ride a truck near the presidential palace.

Houthi fighters patrol a street.
. Sanaa, Yemen. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

Houthi fighters patrol a street.

A Houthi fighter shouts slogans as he takes part in a demonstration to show support for the movement.
. Sanaa, Yemen. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

A Houthi fighter shouts slogans as he takes part in a demonstration to show support for the movement.

Followers of the Houthi movement march to show support for the movement.
. Sanaa, Yemen. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

Followers of the Houthi movement march to show support for the movement.

Army and police officers loyal to the Houthi movement shout slogans as they take part in the demonstration.
. Sanaa, Yemen. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

Army and police officers loyal to the Houthi movement shout slogans as they take part in the demonstration.

A poster of Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi, founder of the Shi'ite Houthi movement, hangs from a monitoring post at the presidential palace.
. Sanaa, Yemen. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

A poster of Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi, founder of the Shi'ite Houthi movement, hangs from a monitoring post at the presidential palace.

Children walk past a damaged vehicle at the site of an explosion. Two improvised explosive devices went off outside houses of Houthi families but no casualties were reported, police said.
. Aden, Yemen. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

Children walk past a damaged vehicle at the site of an explosion. Two improvised explosive devices went off outside houses of Houthi families but no casualties were reported, police said.

Followers of the Houthi movement lower the body of a man killed during recent fighting against presidential guard forces, to a grave.
. Sanaa, Yemen. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

Followers of the Houthi movement lower the body of a man killed during recent fighting against presidential guard forces, to a grave.

A Houthi fighter wears a traditional dagger (jambiya) with a picture of a slain comrade on it poses for a photograph.
. Sanaa, Yemen. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

A Houthi fighter wears a traditional dagger (jambiya) with a picture of a slain comrade on it poses for a photograph.