Yemeni rebel minister defects to Saudi Arabia

The information minister in Yemen’s rebel government has defected to neighboring Saudi Arabia, according to a government official on Sunday.

Abdul Salam Gaber had fled Sanaa and flown to Riyadh, the official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media.

Gaber is scheduled to attend a press conference to be held in the Yemeni Embassy in Riyadh on Sunday.

There was no comment from the Houthi group on the defection, but the pro-Houthi Al Masirah television said Deifullah al-Shami was appointed as an information minister in the Houthi government.

Gaber is the most senior rebel official to defect since the Yemeni conflict broke out in 2014 when the Shia Houthi group overran much of Yemen, including capital Sanaa.

In 2015, Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies launched a devastating air campaign in Yemen aimed at rolling back Houthi gains.