SANAA
U.S. Ambassador to Yemen Matthew Tueller on Tuesday warned that the use of force by the Shiite Houthi militant group in seizing state institutions is weakening the country's economy.
Tueller told a press conference in capital Sanaa that the Houthis' use of violence to impose their political agenda is unacceptable for the international community.
The Houthis' takeover of Sanna has scared away several foreign institutions from pumping investments in Yemen, according to the U.S. diplomat.
Since September, the Shiite militants have been in almost virtual control of the capital, while seeking to expand their control beyond it.
Commenting on a botched US operation to rescue Luke Somers, a 33-year-old American photojournalist abducted by al-Qaeda since September 2013, Ambassador Tueller said the operation was conducted in coordination with Yemeni security authorities and anti-terror squads.
The rescue operation was conducted in the southern Shabwah province on Saturday, but Somers was killed along with a second hostage, South African national Pierre Korkie, in the process.
The bid came two days after al-Qaeda threatened to kill the American hostage within three days unless Washington met their demands.
Yemen has been hard hit by turmoil since a popular uprising that erupted in 2011 toppled longstanding president Ali Abdullah Saleh one year later.
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