Yemeni president accused of 'genocide'

A Yemeni parliamentarian has accused the government of 'genocide' in regard to deliberate attacks on civilians and refugee camps in the northern parts of the country.

Exiled Houthi lawmaker Yahya al-Houthi – who is the brother of the Shia fighters' leader, Abdul-Malek – holds President Ali Abdullah Saleh responsible for the army attacks on refugee camps, where thousands of civilians took shelter from an all-out offensive against the fighters.

"The Yemeni government accuses us (Houthi fighters) of targeting the refugees," Yahya al-Houthi told Press TV from Berlin.

This is while, the government is the one "targeting the civilians in the refugee camps and the villages," he added.

Al-Houthi said that the refugee camps are being targeted by the military planes. According to him, in a recent attack in Al-Nazir province, the military planes left at least 23 civilians dead and 15 others injured.

The fighters had earlier said that targeting civilians would only strengthen the people's solidarity and would encourage them to resist tyranny.

The fighters, led by Abdul-Malek al-Houthi, have been engaged in fierce fighting with the government, since the army launched 'Operation Scorched Earth' on August 11.

The government accuses fighters of seeking to restore a religious leadership in the northern areas that was overthrown in 1962.

The Houthis, however, say they only seek more autonomy, a halt in the alleged Saudi-backed efforts to cause regional insecurity and to impose Wahabism in the region as well as an end to discrimination against their people.