Houthi leader vows to continue anti-govt protests in Yemen

Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi, the leader of the Shiite Houthi group in Yemen, has called on supporters to continue their protests until toppling the Yemeni government.

In a televised speech on Tuesday, Abdul-Malik urged supporters to continue their protests in the capital Sanaa and other Yemeni cities, going on to call on the government "to heed the demands of the people".

Over the past week, Sanaa has been at the centre of intense protests and sit-ins – organised by the Houthis – to demand the dismissal of the current government.

The protests triggered rival demonstrations in the country with thousands of Yemenis taking to the streets in Sanaa on Tuesday to appeal for 'national unity'.

On Sunday, a Yemeni presidential committee failed to reach an agreement with the leader of the Houthis to end the group's protests in the capital.

Many Yemenis believe that the Shiite Houthi group, which takes the northern Saada province as its main base of operations, wants to reinstate Yemen's pre-1962 monarchy in the country's north.

After emerging in 1992, the group has since engaged in several rounds of fighting with the army that has left thousands dead on both sides.

Yemen has been dogged by turmoil since pro-democracy protests forced autocratic president Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down in 2012 after 33 years in power.