SANAA

The Houthi militant group has threatened to overrun Yemen's eastern oil-rich Maarib province, citing what it described as the lack of government action towards the alleged presence of hundreds of Al-Qaeda militants in the region.

The threat came in a message from the Shiite group to President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, Prime Minister Khaled Bahah and the parliament.

A copy of the message was posted on the Facebook page of leading Houthi member Saleh al-Sammad, himself an adviser to President Hadi.

"Some powers aim to incite conflict in Maarib and enable the criminal elements to take over the nation's vital utilities, and the signs of this conspiracy were revealed through turning a blind eye to training camps…housing hundreds of Al-Qaeda members [in Maarib]," the message read in part.

"If the authorities fail to assume their responsibilities…our Yemeni people would not stand idly by as they see these elements take over the province," it added.

In September of 2014, the Shiite militant group took control of capital Sanaa and has since tried to extend its control to other parts of the Arab country.

This has brought the group into conflict with local Sunni tribes as well as Al-Qaeda, the latter of which is said to remain active in Yemen, triggering fears of a sectarian war in a country that remained in turmoil since the ouster of long-serving President Ali Abdullah Saleh in 2012.