Yemeni president says army ready to fight rebels for years

Sana'a, Yemen - Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh said on Saturday the national army would press on its offensive against the Shiite rebels in north-western the country even if takes six years to defeat them. "We will not backtrack even if the battle continues for five or six years, we will not backtrack or stop," Saleh said in a speech marking the 42nd anniversary of a republican revolution that toppled royal rule in northern Yemen.

"If they abide by the reason, we don't want the war, but if they continue their defiance, we will continue the war (against them)," the Yemeni leader said to an applause.

Government troops have been battling thousands of armed rebels in rugged mountains overlooking the borders with Saudi Arabia since August 11, in the latest flare-up in the fighting that has raged on and off since mid-2004.

Two truces designated for allowing humanitarian aid have since collapsed.

Hundreds of insurgents, troops and civilians have been killed and around 150,000 people were forced to leave their villages during the past five weeks, according to unofficial estimates.

Authorities accuse the Shiite group of seeking to restore the rule of the Zaydi royal family, which was toppled by a republican revolution in 1962.

The Houthis say they are in revolt against government corruption and the Yemeni alliance with the United States.