The situation in Yemen became further tense on Sunday as the Houthi Militant Group refused to release an official from the presidency.
The group missed a 24-hour deadline to release Dr. Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, director of the president's office, and alleged that transition president Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi had colluded with Al-Qaeda in Marib governorate.
Hadi met today with senior government officials and the security council on the issue, state media said, without giving details.
Meanwhile, tribes- from which bin Mubarak comes- are threatening to shut down oil and gas projects in Shabwa as from mid-night after the government and Houthis failed to release him on the deadline.
Houthi militias abducted bin Mubarak from downtown the capital city of Sanaa on Saturday allegedly to prevent an attempted coup against the peace and national partnership agreement.
However, officials said the abduction aimed to put pressure on Hadi to modify the new constitution and meet what appear to be "impossible Houthi demands".
Houthis have rejected some of the consensually agreed outcomes of the national dialog conference in accordance with which the new constitution was drafted. Among the rejected outcomes was the one stipulating that Yemen becomes a six-region federation.
The militants are demanding a two-region federation instead. Reports said today the Houthi Group has offered to release bin Mubarak in return for modifying the draft constitution.
But president Hadi rejected the Houthi demand and instead offered to resign in return for the release of bin Mubarak, according to reports.
Moreover, sources said a presidential committee is underway to mediate the release of the official.
People in many cities held protests to demand bin Mubarak's release and condemn acts that aim to destabilize the country.
People said abduction of officials of others must be treated as a punishable crime not a political maneuver as Houthis claim.
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