Thousands of supporters of Yemen's Houthis rallied in the capital Sanaa on Tuesday to celebrate the seventh anniversary of the ousting of the government, as the group's fighters pushed through frontlines in oil-producing regions of the country, APA reports quoting Reuters.
The Iran-aligned movement swept into the capital and most of north Yemen in 2014 when they ousted the internationally recognised government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates intervened in the war in 2015 to try to restore Hadi's government to power but the conflict has dragged on, killing tens of thousands and causing the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
A vast crowd of supporters thronged Sanaa's central public squares waving the red, white and black national colours, and chanting slogans against Saudi Arabia, Israel and the United States. Some carried signs that read "Death to America".
"These are glorious days in Yemen's history, it's like we are born again because we rose up... against the aggressors," said one protester, Hamdi Ziyad.
Houthi leader Khaled al-Madani told the cheering crowd that it was the anniversary of "freedom and independence".
Traditional Yemeni dancers performed on the main podium while many carried pictures of Houthi leaders Abdulmalik al-Houthi and Saleh al-Samad.
Samad, who held the post of president in the Houthi-controlled administration which runs most of northern Yemen, was killed in April 2018 by a Saudi-led coalition air strike in the port city of Hodeidah on Yemen's west coast.
The Houthis executed nine men on Saturday following their conviction for involvement in his killing, causing a global outcry.
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