The leader of Yemen's Zaidi Shia rebels Abdul Malek al-Huthi may have been killed following an air raid last week and buried, a website linked to the defence ministry reported on Sunday.
"There are increasing reports of the death of the terrorist Abdul Malek al-Huthi, who suffered serious injuries in an (air) raid," in the northern mountainous province of Saada, according to the website www.26sep.net
"Information indicates that he was buried in Jebel Talan overlooking the Malahidh near the house of one of the relatives of the Huthi family, Ahmed al-Hadawi," it said. It was not possible to confirm the report with the rebels, as their spokesmen could not be reached on Sunday.
The defence ministry said on December 20 that Huthi had been seriously injured in an air strike. However, a man named Ali, who claimed to be a spokesman for the rebels, described the claim as "baseless." The Yemeni government has been engaged in sporadic fighting with the rebels, also known as Huthis after their leader, since 2004.