A Saudi delegation has left war-torn Yemen without a finalized truce but with a commitment from Huthi rebels to hold a second round of talks, Huthi and government sources told AFP on Friday.
The team, which was led by Ambassador Mohammed al-Jaber, left the rebel-held capital Sanaa late on Thursday, four days after he arrived seeking to "stabilize" a truce that lapsed last year.
"There is an initial agreement on a truce that should be announced later on if finalized," a Huthi official said on condition of anonymity, in the information that was confirmed by a government source.
"There is an agreement to hold another round of talks to further discuss points of difference."
Fighting has eased dramatically since a six-month, UN-brokered truce last year, even after it expired in October. A source at the Huthis' foreign ministry told AFP that the Saudi delegation would communicate the rebels' "conditions" to the Riyadh leadership. Huthi political leader Mohamed Ali al-Huthi said the talks were conducted in a "positive atmosphere", with plans for another round.
On Saturday, before the Saudi visit, a Yemeni government source said the Saudis and Huthis had agreed in principle on a six-month truce to pave the way for three months of talks on establishing a two-year "transition".
Key Huthi goals include paying salaries of civil servants in areas under their control and lifting operational restrictions on ports and airports they hold.
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