The Houthi rebels have seized a central Yemeni province days after formally taking control of the country, reports Associated Press.
With the help of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, the Houthis took full control of Bayda province on Tuesday.
According to Associated Press, Bayda is the gateway to the country's south, which remains in the hands of the pro-independence southerners.
On February 6th the Houthis announced their takeover of the country by releasing a constitutional declaration that dissolved parliament and asserted plans to form a replacement assembly.
On February 9th it was announced that the tribes of Sheba region, which includes the three provinces of Maarib, Al-Jawf and Al-Bayda', will retain control of the oil fields of the region. The people of this region reject the Houthi's rise to power.
There have been ongoing peace talks brokered by the UN to determine the fate of the volatile country after the Houthis staged a coup earlier this year.
