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Kuwait to send troops to Saudi for Yemen war: Report

Kuwait's participation in the Yemen war has so far been limited to the airforce
Fighting has continued to rage in Yemen despite efforts in Switzerland (AFP)

Kuwait has decided to send ground forces to take part in the war on Yemen's Houthi rebels, a local newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Al-Qabas daily cited an informed source saying Kuwait's cabinet has approved sending the troops to Saudi Arabia, which is leading a coalition against the Houthis, as soon as early next week.

Kuwait's participation in the Yemen war has so far been limited to the airforce.

No details were provided about the size of the force.

Since March, the Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out air strikes against the Houthis and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh after they overran large parts of Yemen.

Peace talks stalled 

On Monday, Saleh rejected further peace talks with the government, saying dialogue should instead take place with Saudi Arabia.

Saleh ruled Yemen for three decades and maintained good ties with Saudi Arabia before resigning in 2012 following a popular uprising against his rule.

In a speech late Sunday during a meeting with members of his General People's Congress (GPC) party, UN-sanctioned Saleh said "we will not take part in (future) dialogue... unless the war ends."

GPC representatives attended UN-sponsored peace talks in Switzerland last week. There was no major breakthrough in the talks but the parties agreed to meet again on 14  January.

A ceasefire began as the talks opened in Switzerland but was violated daily.

The conflict in Yemen has killed more than 5,800 people since the Saudi-led intervention began in March, according to UN figures.

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