By Mohamed al-Sheberi

SANAA 

Al-Qaeda's branch in Yemen threatened on Thursday to move its fight against Yemen's Shiite Houthi militants into their main stronghold in the northern province of Saada.

In a video message, senior Al-Qaeda leader Ma'amoun Hatem says if his movement starts fighting against Houthis, the battle will end only in Saada.

He added in the one-minute video, which was posted on YouTube, that a serious action should be taken against the Houthis who have recently assumed control over several areas across the country, including the capital Sanaa.

"Everybody should get ready with arms and start coordination," Hatem says in the video as he stands in the middle of fellow Al-Qaeda militants, ruling out the possibility of conducting negotiations with the Shiite group.

Anadolu Agency could not independently verify the video.

Al-Qaeda and the Houthis have been locking horns in central province of Al-Bayda' for several days now, with each seeking to tighten its grip on the flashpoint province.

Houthis have controlled Yemeni capital Sanaa since September 21 despite having signed an agreement with the Yemeni presidency that aimed at ending the country's political stalemate.

Since then, Houthis have been trying to extend their control over other parts of the country.

Yemen has been in turmoil since a popular uprising that erupted in 2011 toppled longstanding president Ali Abdullah Saleh one year later.

Some Arab capitals accuse Shiite Iran of backing Yemen's ongoing Houthi insurgency.

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