Fighters from the Houthi group battled guards at the Yemeni president's private home and entered the presidential palace on Tuesday, witnesses said, as a second day of violence in Sanaa raised fears the country was descending into chaos.
In a speech on live television, Houthi leader Abdel-Malek al-Houthi suggested two days of fighting involving his men were part of an attempt to protect a power-sharing deal meant to steer Yemen to stability.
His speech was critical of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, a US ally with whom Houthi has been at odds over a draft constitution intended to help end decades of conflict and underdevelopment.
He said no one, including Hadi, was above any steps when it came to implementing the power-sharing accord, which was negotiated after his men seized Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in September. Houthi prizes the accord as it grants his group participation in all military and civil state bodies.
"We ... will not hesitate to impose any necessary measures to implement the peace and partnership agreement," said Houthi, whose Shi'ite Muslim group is widely seen as an ally of Iran in its regional struggle for influence with Saudi Arabia.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the violence and called for order in the country.
The United States remains "firmly committed" to supporting Hadi and his government and is calling for an "immediate cessation of hostilities," a State Department official said.
