Saudi team leaves Yemen, more truce talks expected: rebel, govt sources

A Saudi delegation has left war-torn Yemen without a finalised truce but with a commitment to hold a second round of talks with Iran-backed Houthi rebels, Houthi and government sources told AFP on Friday.

The team, which was led by Ambassador Mohammed Al-Jaber, departed rebel-held Sanaa late on Thursday, four days after he arrived seeking to "stabilise" a truce that lapsed last year.

"There is an initial agreement on a truce that should be announced later on if finalised," a Houthi official said on condition of anonymity, in the information that was confirmed by a government source.

"There is an agreement to hold another round of talks to further discuss points of difference," he added. 

The Houthis seized control of the capital Sanaa in September 2014 after it was denied participation in the internationally recognised government. The Saudi-led war to oust the Houthis was launched the following March.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed, directly or indirectly, and two-thirds of the country of 30 million is dependent on aid, according to United Nations estimates.

Fighting has eased dramatically since a six-month, UN-brokered truce last year, even after it expired in October.