Former President Ali Abdullah Saleh ’killed’ in Yemen

Sanaa’s Houthi-controlled Interior Ministry announced Saleh’s death in a statement. "The militias of treason are finished and their leader has been killed," the statement said.

Saleh’s General Peoples Congress said he was killed by sniper bullets. A Houthi video distributed on social media showed what appeared to be Saleh’s body, clad in grey clothes and being carried out on a red blanket. The side of his head bore a deep wound.

Unverified footage that circulated earlier on social media showed armed militiamen unfa hrefing a blanket containing the corpse and shouting, “Praise God!” and “Hey Ali Affash!”, another last name for Saleh.

Saleh’s party denied to Reuters that their leader had been killed and said he was still leading forces in heavy fighting in Sanaa that has killed at least 125 people and wounded 238 in six days, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Earlier on Monday, Houthi forces blew up Saleh’s house in Sanaa and came under aerial attack by Saudi-led coalition warplanes for a second day, residents said.