Yemen’s powerful Shi’ite rebels finalized their takeover of the country Friday, announcing they have dissolved parliament and are establishing a new presidential council to run Yemeni affairs.

In a televised statement, the Houthi militia said it was also forming a 551-member national council to replace parliament.

Yemen has been mired in political turmoil for months, in addition to instability caused by the al-Qaida branch in the country.

Last month, Houthi rebels took over the residence of President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, prompting him and his Cabinet to resign.

The failure of a truce between the Houthi militia and the government of the U.S.-backed Hadi sparked reports that Washington would suspend counterterrorism operations in Yemen until the situation stabilized.

Despite the political crisis, President Barack Obama vowed there would be no let-up, saying the United States would continue to pursue “high value targets inside Yemen.”

This week, the Yemen branch of al-Qaida said one of its top commanders, Harith al-Nadhari, was killed in a U.S. air strike in the country’s south.

The group, Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, claimed responsibility for the deadly terror attacks in Paris last month and has vowed to carry out similar ones ones in the future.

The U.S. considers AQAP al-Qaida’s most dangerous offshoot.

 
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